OLFU College of Medicine Class 2015

Parasitology Lecture 1: Introduction to Parasitology

Dr. Mateo June 22, 2012

Parasitology Type of Host in Relation to Various Stages of the Life

 Area of biology with the phenomenon of
dependence of one living organism on another
 Science in which deals most with living animals
living at the expense of other living beings and
able to develop and reproduce in them
 Science that deals with organism that take up
their abode temporarily or permanently
Medical Parasitology
 Concerned primarily with the animal parasites of
humans and their medical significance as well as
their importance in human communities
Tropical Medicine
 Branch of medicine which deals with tropical
diseases and other medical problems of tropical
regions
Epidemiology
 Body of knowledge concerning disease in human
population or community
Cycle of Parasites
1. Definitive Host
o in which the sexual life cycle takes place
2. Intermediate Host
o in which asexual life cycle takes place
before it is deposited in the definitive
host
Way by Which Egg & Larvae Leave the Body of the
Host
1. Liberated with feces, urine, sputum
2. Larvae maybe sucked from circulation by
liberating agent such as flies and mosquitoes
3. Larvae may leave out with products of
suppuration coming out from ulcers
4. Larvae may be ingested with flesh of the
intermediate host by the ultimate host
Mechanisms of Pathogenesis
A. General Life Cycle
Parasite  host  migrate to location for
maturation  reproduce  parasite

Host B. Factors that determine intensity of Parasite

 Organism which provides food and shelter for Infection
parasites 1. Topography of locality – low-fat areas with warm
moist soil
Habitat 2. Faulty sanitary and hygienic measures
 Natural abode of parasites 3. Poor social condition
4. Young age
Opportunistic parasites 5. Presence of intermediate host
 Parasites which are not normally pathogens but 6. Custom of people
become so due to impairment of the host
resistance C. How Parasites Damage the Host
1. Toxic or Lytic
Vectors o Produce lysis of mucosa
 responsible for transmitting the parasite from o Production of lytic enzyme – ulcer of
one host to another stomach
 insect that carries the infective stage of an o Ex. Entamoeba histolytica
2. Traumatic
organism to another person
o Actual destruction by biting or eating up
o Destruction brought about by
Divisions of Medical Parasitology
mechanical or lytic or toxic substances
I. Protozoology
3. Mechanical destruction
II. Helminthology
o Ball of Ascaris
A. Roundworms (Nematodes)
4. Migration to delicate organs
B. Flatworms (Trematodes & Cestodes)
o Ascaris from intestine to bile duct to the
III. Medical Entomology (Arthropods)
liver
5. Complicating Factor
Type of Parasite according to the Position in the Host
o Perforation of Ulceration
1. Ectoparasite
6. Obstruction of Food
o organism which lives and develops
o Ex. Taenia solium
outside the body of the host
7. Irritative or Inflammatory
2. Endoparasite
o Trichuris trichuria
o organism which lives and develops
8. Excessive reproduction
inside the body of the host
9. Specific pathogenicity

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 OLFU College of Medicine Class 2015
Parasitology Lecture 1: Introduction to Parasitology

Dr. Mateo June 22, 2012

Sources of Exposure B. Portal of Exit

1. Contaminated soil 1. Feces
o A. lumbricoides o mostly all kinds of parasite
o T. trichuria 2. Urine
o Stronglyoides stercoralis o Trichomonas vaginalis
o Hookworms o Strongyloides stercoralis
2. Contaminated water o Schistosoma hematobium
o Amoeba 3. Sputum
o Flagellates o Paragonimus westermani
o blood flukes o Ascaris lumbricoides
o Taenia solium 4. Discharges
3. Food containing the immature infective stage o from cervix  Trichomonas vaginalis
of the parasite o Drancunculus medinensis
o Fish, crab snail  tapeworms, Capillaria
o Beef, pork  Taenia, Trichinella Mode of Living of Parasites
4. Blood-sucking insect 1. Facultative
o Malaria o Organisms which may live either as a
o Leishmania parasitic or free-living existence under
o Trypanosoma favorable or appropriate circumstances
5. Domestic or wild animal harboring the 2. Temporary
parasite o Lives on the host only for a short period
o Dogs  Dipylidum caninum of time
o Cats  Toxocara cati 3. Permanent
o Herbivorous animals  Trichostrongylus o Remains on or in the body of the host
6. Another person, his clothing, bedding or for its entire life
immediate environment that he has 4. Periodic
contaminated o When parasite is in its larval stage, it
o Entamoeba histolytica develops in a host that is different that
o Enterobius vermicularis of an adult
o scabies 5. Obligatory
7. Oneself/Auto-infection o Need a host at some stage of their life
o Enterobius vermicularis cycle to complete their development and
o Strongyloides stercoralis to propagate their species
6. Transitory
Mode of Transmission o When parasite passes
7. Incidental
A. Portal of Entry o A parasite which establishes itself in a
1. Mouth host where it does not ordinarily live
2. Skin penetration from the soil, fresh water 8. Pathogenic
o Necator o Parasite during its association with the
o Ancyclostoma host may cause certain local or general
3. percutaneously by blood-sucking insects body changes
o Plasmodium
4. Inhalation of airborne eggs
o E. vermicularis
5. Transplacental
o A. lumbricoides
o T. gondii
o Plasmodium
6. Transmammary
o Strongyloides
o Ancyclostoma
o Plasmodium
7. Sexual intercourse
o Trichomonas vaginalis

Jamie Sebastian
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