Arish University

Faculty of Medicine
Parasitology department

Medical Parasitology Introduction

By
Dr. Wafaa Mohammed Zaki
Assistant Professor
Medical parasitology department
Faculty of Medicine
Suez Canal University
Objectives:

Parasitological definitions
Types of parasites
Types of hosts
Modes of transmission of parasitic infections.
Classification and nomenclature of parasites
Binomial Nomenclature
Parasites classifications
 Parasitological definitions

Parasitology: A branch of Biology which deals

with host-parasite interrelationship
Parasite: an organism living on or within its host
(man or animal) that provides nourishment and
physical protection.
Symbiosis: Two different organisms live together
and interact. It includes 3 types:
Cont.

1- Parasitism: a relationship between two organisms, one of

them is small called the parasite and the other is large called
the host where the parasite lives on the host ,benefits and
causes harm to it e.g. Schistosoma (parasite) and man(host)

2- Commensalism: a relationship in which one partener

derives benefit without causing harm to the host. So,
commensal organism acts as non-pathogenic parasite
(harmless parasite).e.g. Entamoeba coli (parasite) and man (
host)
Cont.

3. Mutualism: is a permanent association in which

the 2 partners benefit from each other, such as
termites and flagellates. The mutuals are
metabolically dependent on one another (one cannot
survive in the absence of the other).
 Types of parasites

1- Ectoparasite: parasite lives on the surface of the body

e.g. lice, (Pediculus)
2- Endoparasite: parasite lives inside the body of the host
e.g. Ascaris and Enterobius in small and large intestine of
man.

3- Obligate parasite: depends completely upon its host for

its entire life and can't survive without it (e.g. Enterobius).
4- Facultative parasite: organism that can exist in a free
living state or as a parasite under unfavorable environmental
conditions (e.g. Naegleria and Strongyloides).
Cont.

opportunistic parasite: is that one which is

capable of producing a disease in immuno-
compromised host (immuno-deficient host like AIDS
and cancer patients)
In the immuno-competent host, it is either found in
a latent form or cause a self limiting disease
Opportunistic = use the chance of decreased
immunity.
 Types of hosts
1. Definitive host (D.H.) or final host : host harbouring
the adult stage or sexual forms of the parasite. e.g.
Man is D.H. for Schistosoma
2. Intermediate host (I.H.) : Host harbouring the larval
stages or asexual forms of the parasite. E.g.Lymnaea
is the I.H. for Fasciola hepatica
3. Reservoir host (R.H.) : Animals that carry the same
species of parasite as man, and act as potential source
for human infection.e.g. cats and dogs are R.H. for
Trypanosoma
# Diseases transmitted from animals to man are
known as (Zoonotic diseases).
 Cont.

4 - Vector host: An arthropod which transmits the parasites

from one host to another (e.g. sand fly that carry leishmania
parasite from animal to man and vice versa).
A- Biological vectors :
are essential in the life cycle where the parasite
undergoes some changes to reach infective stage e.g
Mosquitoes
B- Phoretic or mechanical vectors:
act as passive carriers of parasitic stages on its body or
from excreta to human food and drink e.g house fly
Modes of transmission of parasitic infections.

Oral rout. Commonest portal of entry of the parasites is

oral through contaminated food, water or soiled fingers.

Skin penetration. Such as infection with hookworms

is acquired when larvae of these parasites penetrate the
unbroken skin of an individual walking barefoot over
contaminated soil with infected stool.

Autoinfection where the diagnostic stage is the same

infective stage without presence of intermediate host.
Direct contact with the parasite especially
arthropods such as pediculosis
Cont.
Transmission by insects either mechanical through
food contamination or biological through their bites..
Sexual contact- in parasites live in urogenital tract.
Congenital-Infection such as toxoplasmosis may be
transmitted from mother to fetus trans-placentally.
Inhalation in very light weight eggs such as
Entrobius.
Iatrogenic infection-Malaria parasites may be
transmitted by transfusion of blood or transmitted by
the use of contaminated syringes and needles. This
may occur in drug addicts.
Classification and Nomenclature of Parasites

Parasites are classified in the animal kingdom on the

bases of their morphology and life cycles. The animal
kingdom is divided into several phyla (singular phylum)
 Each phylum is divided into classes,
 Each class is divided into orders
 Each order is divided into families
 Each family is divided into genera
 Each genus is divided into species
Binomeal Nomenclature

The name of each parasite consists of two words:

The first word indicates the name of the genus and starts
with a capital letter.

The second word indicates the name of species and starts

with a small letter .

The name is written in italic

For example the round worm Ascaris lumbricoides is

classified as follows :
 e.g: Ascaris lumbricoides

Phylum : Nemathelminths
Class : Nematoda
Order : Eunematoda
Family : Ascaridae
Genus : Ascaris
Species : lumbricoides
Parasitology classification