WEEK 1: INTRODUCTION TO PARASITOLOGY

 Parasitology
- Area of biology concerned with the phenomenon of dependence of one living organism on
another.
 Medical Parasitology
- Concerned primarily with parasites of human and their medical significance.

 HOST-PARASITE RELATIONSHIP (BIOLOGICAL RELATIONSHIP)

- Symbiosis: Living together of unlike organisms. It may also involve protection or other
advantages to one or both partners.
- Host: The primary function of the host is to carry on the parasite’s life cycle.
- Different Forms of Symbiosis:

Commensalism Mutualism Parasitism

Is a symbiotic relationship Is a symbiosis in which two Is a symbiotic relationship
in which two species organisms mutually where one organism, the
benefits from the benefit from each other. parasite, lives in or on
relationship without another, depending on the
harming or benefiting the latter for its survival and
others. usually at the expense of
the host.

 Types of Parasites according to the MODE OF LIVING:

TYPE OF PARASITE INFORMATION ABOUT THE PARASITE

Ectoparasites Parasite that lives outside the body of a host
Endoparasites Parasites living inside the body of a host
Facultative Parasites Exist in free-living state or may become parasitic when the need
arises
Obligate Parasites Parasites that need a host to complete their development and to
propagate their species.
Incidental/Accidental A parasite, which establishes itself in a host where it does not
Parasites ordinarily live
Spurious/Coprozoic Free-living organisms that pass through the digestive tract without
Parasites infecting the host.
Temporary Parasites Parasites that live on the host only for a short period of time.
Permanent Parasites Parasites that remain on or in the body of the host for its entire life.
Saphrophytes Microorganisms that live on dead or decaying organic matter.
 Types of Hosts:

HOST INFORMATION ABOUT THE HOST

Definitive Host  Where parasites attain its sexual
maturity
 A host in which a parasite develops
to an adult or sexually mature stage.
 Also called Final host
Intermediate Host  Harbors the asexual or larval stage of
the parasite.
 The host in which a parasite
undergoes development but does not
reach sexual maturity.
Reservoir  They allow the parasite’s life cycle to
continue and become additional
sources of human infection.
 Example:
 Pigs: Balantidium coli
 Rats: Paragonimus westermanii
 Cats: Brugia malayi
Paratenic Host  Host in which the parasites do not
develop further to later stages.
However, the parasites remain alive
and is able to infect another
susceptible host.
 An intermediate host whose
presence may be required for the
completion of a parasite's life cycle
but in which no development of the
parasite occurs.

 VECTORS
- are responsible for transmitting the parasite from one host to another.
- Two types of Vectors:

Biological Vector Mechanical/Phoretic Vector

transmits the parasite only after the only transport the parasite, not part of
latter has completed its development the parasite’s life cycle
within the host, therefore it is an
essential part of the parasite’s life cycle.
 EXPOSURE AND INFECTION
1. Carrier- harbors a particular pathogen without manifesting any signs and symptoms.
2. Incubation Period- is the period between infection and evidence of symptoms.
3. Autoinfection- results when an infected individual becomes his own direct source of
infection.
4.
 SOURCES OF INFECTION
 Contaminated soil and water (most common source)
 Lack of sanitary toilets
 Use of night soil or human excreta as fertilizer
 Food containing immature infective stage of the parasite
 Blood sucking insects
 Domestic and wild animals
 Another person

 PARASITIC LIFE CYCLE

a. Modes of Transmission: b. Morphologic Forms:
1. Mouth/Fecal oral route 1. Infective Stage
2. Skin Penetration 2. Diagnostic Stage
3. Bites (vector borne)
4. Congenital Transmission
5. Transmammary
6. Inhalation

 LIFE CYCLE ACCORDING TO NO. OF HOST

1. Monoxenous- only one host (ex: ascaris)
2. Heteroxenous- requires two or more host in its entire cycle (ex: trematodes)

 LIFE CYCLE ACCORDING TO SET OF SEX ORGAN

1. Monoecious- parasites that contain the male and female sex organ in one body
(ex: Hermaphrodite- Trematodes and Cestodes)
2. Dioecious- sexes are separate (ex: nematodes)

 EPIDEMIOLOGIC MEASURES
 Epidemiology- is the study of patterns, distribution, and occurrence of disease.
a. Incidence- is the number of new cases of infection appearing in a population in a given
period of time.
 b. Prevalence- is the number (usually expressed as percentage) of individuals in a
population estimated to be infected with a particular parasite species at a given time.
c. Cumulative Prevalence- is the percentage of individuals in a population infected with at
least one parasite.
d. Intensity of Infection- refers to burden of infection which is related to the number of
worms per infected person

 CLASSIFICATION OF DISEASE ACCORDING TO DISTRIBUTION

Endemic Epidemic Hyperendemic Sporadic Pandemic

Always present Sudden increase in Very high number Occasional; only Worldwide
in the given a given location; of cases (already few cases
location outbreak high, then it
becomes higher)

 PATHOPHYSIOLOGY AND SYMPTOMATOLOGY OF PARASITIC INFECTIONS:

Major body areas associated with infection Symptoms associated with parasitic infections
 Gastrointestinal tract  Diarrhea
 Urogenital tract  Fever
 Blood and tissue  Chills
 Miscellaneous locations (CSF, Eye, skin  Abdominal pain
and extremities)  Abdominal cramping
 Liver  Anemia
 Lung  Vitamin deficiency

 PREVENTION AND CONTROL

 Morbidity and Control
 Information-education communication
 Environmental management
 Environmental sanitation
 Sanitation

 IMMUNOLOGY OF PARASITIC INFECTIONS:

 Parasite fails to become established in the host
 Parasite becomes established and the host eliminates the infection
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 Parasites become established and the host begins to overcome the infection but is not
totally successful
 Parasites become established and the host, trying to eliminate the organism, becomes
damaged itself
 Parasites become established and kills the host

 HOST-PARASITE INFECTIONS:

Natural Physical Barriers Chemical Components of BF Physiologic Functions

 Skin  Breast Milk  Peristalsis
 Mucous membranes lining  Tears and Saliva  Motion of cilia
the respiratory,  Coughing
gastrointestinal and  Flushing of urine
genitourinary tract
 Low pH of vaginal
secretions and gastric
juices

 HOST-IMMUNE RESPONSE
a. Innate Immunity
- Phagocytosis
- Toll-Like receptors (TLR’s)
- Natural killer cell - Blood cells

b. Acquired Immunity
- Major histocompatibility complex
- Parasite antigens: IgE, IgG, IgM and IgA

 NOMENCLATURE
 Animal Parasites- are classified according to the International Code of Zoological
Nomenclature.
 Phylum- each phylum is divided into classes, which are further subdivided into Orders,
Families, genera and species.
 Latinized- most of the scientific names originated from Latin words.
 Scientific names of Parasites- written in italics and consists of two components:
a. genus (pl, general)
b. Species
 CLASSIFICATION OF PARASITES
1. Subkingdom Protozoa (unicellular)

a. Phylum Sarcomastigophora

 Subphylum Sarcodina (Amoeba)- organ movement through: pseudopods

 Subphylum Mastigophora (Flagellates)

Subphylum Sarcodina (Amoeba) Subphylum Sarcodina (Amoeba)

 Acanthamoeba castellani
 Endolimax nana
 Entamoeba coli Entamoeba dispar
 Entamoeba gingivalis Entamoeba
histolytica
 Iodamoeba butschlii
 Naegleria fowleri
* Atrial Flagellates
 Chilomastix mesnili
 Dientamoeba fragilis
 Giardia lamblia
 Trichomonas hominis
 Trichomonas tenax
 Trichomonas vaginals
* Hemoflagellates
 Leishmania braziliensis
 Leishmania donovani
 Leishmania tropica
 Trypanosoma brucei complex
Trypanosoma cruzi

b. Phylum Ciliophora (ciliates)

 Balantidium coli

c. Phylum Apicomplexa

 Babesia spp.
 Cryptosporidium hominis
 Cyclospora cayetanensis
 Cystoisospora belli
 Plasmodium spp.
 Toxoplasma gondii

d.Phylum Microscopra

 Enterocytozoon bieneusi
 Encephalitozoon spp.
 Vittaforma cornea
  Trachipleistophora hominis
 Pleistophora spp.
 Anncaliia vesicularum Microsporidium spp

2. Subkingdom Metazoa (multi cellular)

a. Phylum Nemathelminthes (Nematodes)

 Intestinal Nematodes
 Extraintestinal Nematodes

Intestinal Nematodes Extraintestinal Nematodes

 Ascaris lumbricoides
 Capillaria philippinensis
 Enterobius vermicularis
 Hookworm
 Strongyloides stercoralis
 Trichuris trichiura
 Lymphatic filarial
 Parastrongylus
cantonensis
 Trichinella spiralis

b. Phylum Platyhelminthes

 Class Trematoda (Flukes)

 Class Cestoda (Tapeworms)

Class Trematoda (Flukes) Class Cestoda (Tapeworms)

 Artyfechinostomum malayanum * Cyclophyllidea
 Clonorchis sinensis  Dipylidium caninum
 Echinostoma ilocanum  Echinococcus spp
 Fasciola hepatica  Hymenolepis diminuta
 Fasciolopsis buski  Hymenolepis nana
 Heterophyids  Raillietina garrisoni
 Opisthorchis felineus  Taenia saginata
 Opisthorchis viverrini  Taenia solium
 Paragonimus westermani *Pseudophyllidea
 Schistosoma haematobium  Diphyllobothrium latum
 Schistosoma japonicum  Spirometra sp.
 Schistosoma mansoni
 3. Kingdom Animalia

a. Phylum Arthropoda

 Class Arachnida
 Class Crustacea
 Class Chilopoda
 Class Pentastomida
 Class Insecta

Class Arachnida Class Crustacea Class Chilopoda Class Pentastomida Class Insecta
 Mites  Capepods  Centipedes  Tongue worm  Flies
 Scorpions  Crabs  Flea
 Spiders  Beetle
 Ticks  Bees
 Lice
 Wasp
 Mosquitoes