parasitism

Examples of parasitism in the following topics:

• Distribution and Importance of Parasitic Worms

  • Parasitic worms, distributed worldwide, are hypothesized to have importance in immune system regulation.
  • Parasitic worms, often the result of horrible illness and disease, appear to have medicinal properties as well.
  • The importance of parasitic worms has come to light in regards to treating various diseases which may benefit from their presence.
  • It is argued that humans have evolved with parasitic worms and there is a mutualistic relationship which mandates the need for parasitic worms to contribute to a healthy immune system.
  • The study showed that parasitic worm infection results in an increase in eosinophils, thus, promoting control of glucose maintenance .

• Babesiosis

  • Babesiosis is a malaria-like parasitic disease caused by infection with Babesia, a parasite transmitted to human hosts by ticks.
  • Babesiosis is a malaria-like parasitic disease caused by Babesia.
  • In the blood, the parasites will then differentiate into male and female gametes.
  • Diagnosis of babesiosis is performed using a Giemsa-test for parasitic identification.
  • Outline the life cycle of the Babesia microti parasite that causes babesiosis

• Symbiosis

  • In this relationship the parasite benefits, but the organism being fed upon, the host, is harmed.
  • The parasite, however, is unlikely to kill the host.
  • The parasite moves from species to species as it requires two hosts to complete its life cycle.
  • This diagram shows the life cycle of a pork tapeworm (Taenia solium), a human worm parasite.
  • Here, the parasite will absorb the nutrition from the host and continue to grow.

• Helminths

  • Parasitic worms, often referred to as helminths, are a division of eukaryotic parasites.
  • Parasitic worms, often referred to as helminths, are a division of eukaryotic parasites.
  • Those that live inside the digestive tract are called intestinal parasites .
  • Populations in the developing world are at particular risk for infestation with parasitic worms.
  • List the four groups of parasitic worms (helminths), routes of transmission and risk factors

• Protists as Human Pathogens

  • Many protists exist as parasites that infect and cause diseases in their hosts.
  • Parasites live in or on an organism and harm that organism.
  • A significant number of protists are pathogenic parasites that must infect other organisms to survive and propagate.
  • Protist parasites include the causative agents of malaria, African sleeping sickness, and waterborne gastroenteritis in humans.
  • In response to waste products released as the parasites burst from infected blood cells, the host immune system mounts a massive inflammatory response with episodes of delirium-inducing fever as parasites lyse red blood cells, spilling parasitic waste into the bloodstream.

• Classification and Identification of Helminths

  • Helminths, or parasitic worms, are eukaryotic parasites characterized by their ability to feed and live on living hosts.
  • Helminths and multicellular eukaryotes, can either be free-living or parasitic.
  • These parasites live in and feed on hosts which allow them to obtain nourishment while disrupting the hosts' nutrient absorption.
  • Parasitic worms are commonly found within the intestine and thus, are called intestinal parasites.

• Ecology, Epidemiology, and Evolution of Pathogens

  • Diseases can emerge when existing parasites become pathogenic or when new pathogenic parasites enter a new host.
  • Coevolution between parasite and host can lead to hosts becoming resistant to the parasites or the parasites may evolve greater virulence, leading to immunopathological disease.
  • Optimal virulence is a concept relating to the ecology of hosts and parasites.
  • One definition of this is the host's parasite-induced loss of fitness.
  • Thus, there is a natural force providing pressure on the parasite to "self-limit" its virulence.

• Schistosomiasis

  • Schistosomiasis is a parasitic disease caused by various species of trematodes or "flukes," which are of the genus Schistosoma.
  • Schistosomiasis is a parasitic disease caused by various species of trematodes or "flukes," which are of the genus Schistosoma.
  • For parasites categorized as schistosomes, the snail is the intermediary agent between the mammalian hosts.
  • Upon contact with contaminated water, the parasitic larvae can penetrate the skin and mature within the organ tissues.
  • The parasite secretes enzymes that break down the skin's protein to enable penetration of the cercarial head through the skin.

• Antiprotozoan and Antihelminthic Drugs

  • Parasites are organisms that live on or in a host organism to obtain food.
  • Two major classes of parasitic organisms include protozoa and helminths.
  • This parasite is injected into humans via mosquitoes.
  • Other types of antiprotozan drugs specifically target metabolic mechanisms utilized by the parasite.
  • Parasitic helminths worms include: tapeworms, flukes, leeches and hookworms.

• Nematodes

  • Nematodes are also capable of exhibiting parasitic behavior that contribute to digestive system diseases.
  • Analysis of parasitic nematodes reveals the presence of specific body structures which promote parasitic behaviors such as ridges, rings or bristles that allow for attachment.
  • Ascariasis is a disease that is caused by the parasitic roundworm Ascaris lumbricoides.
  • Enterobius, referred to as pinworm, is a type of parasitic nematode that is commonly found in the intestine of children.
  • Compare and contrast mechanisms of infection for the parasitic nematodes: Ascaris lumbricoides and Enterobius