MEDICAL PARASITOLOGY

BIOLOGICAL RELATIONSHIPS MODES OF TRANSMISSION

Symbiosis Process of living together of two different Contact Transmitted • Enterobius vermicularis
species of organisms Infection is transmissible directly from • Trichomonas vaginalis
Commensalism One organism gains but the other is not harmed nor person to person • Sarcoptes scabei
affected nor helped • Pediculus capitis
Phoresy if used for transport Soil-transmitted
• Ascaris lumbricoides
Inquilinism if used for housing/shelter The infective stage becomes infective
• Trichuris trichiura
Mutualism Reciprocal benefit after a period of incubation in the soil.
• Ancylostoma duodenale
Parasitism one organism (the parasite) gains food and shelter
• Necator americanus
from another (the host) which suffers from the • Strongyloides stercorales
relationship
Arthropod-transmitted

Infective stage develops in the • Plasmodium spp.
TYPES OF PARASITES ACCORDING TO ITS LOCATION
arthropod intermediate host which • Wuchereria
Endoparasite Ectoparasite
transmits the infection by biting or • Trypanosoma
Lives inside the body of the host Lives outside the body of the host when ingested by man
Presence in host connotes Presence in host connotes
Snail-transmitted
infection infestation Infective stage develops in the snail
Ex: Plasmodium, Giardia, Taenia, Ex: mites, lice, ticks • Schistosoma
intermediate host or second
Ascaris • Echinostoma
intermediate host after partial
development in the snail
TYPES OF PARASITES ACCORDING TO HOST RELATIONSHIP Food/Animal-transmitted • Trichinella spiralis
Obligate Parasite Facultative Parasite Infective stage develops in animals • Taenia solium
Need a host at some stage of their May exist in a free-living state but whose flesh is an important food item of • Capillaria philippinensis
life cycle to complete development becomes parasitic when the need man • Paragonimus westermani
and propagation arises Water-transmitted
Infective stage of the parasite develops
TYPES OF PARASITES ACCORDING TO SITE OF INFECTION • Giardia lamblia
in the external environment and usually
Accidental/ Establishes itself in a host it does not ordinarily live • Entamoeba histolytica
reaches man through ingestion of
Incidental contaminated water.
Permanent Remains on host for life Sexual intercourse • Trichomonas vaginalis
Temporary Lives on host for short period of time Congenital transmission • Toxoplasma gondii
Spurious Free-living organism that passes through digestive tract Inhalation of airborne eggs
with infecting the host Skin penetration


TYPES OF HOSTS
SOME DEFINITION OF TERMS IN THE LIFE CYCLE OF PARASITES
Definite / Final organism in which the adult or sexually PROTOZOA
Host mature stage of the parasite lives TROPHOZOITES CYSTS
Intermediate organism in which the parasite lives • Motile • Nonmotile
Host during a period of its larval or asexual • Feeding • Nonnmetabolizing
development • Reproducing form • Nonreproducing form
Paratenic Host reservoir of infection in transmitting the • surrounded by a flexible cell • surrounded by a thick wall
parasite without undergoing any membrane • survives well in the environment
development inside this host and so is often involved in
Reservoir Host Allow life cycle to continue and become additional transmission
sources of human infection • Flagellated forms à promastigotes or trypomastigotes

• Non-flagellated forms à amastigotes
TYPES OF VECTORS HELMINTHS
Vector: living invertebrate carrier (e.g. an arthropod) that transmits a • Many helminths have a life cycle that progresses from egg à larva à
pathogenic organism from an infected to a noninfected host adult.
Biologic Vector Mechanical Vector • Regarding the laboratory diagnosis of these infections, examination of the
harbor the parasitic organism merely transfer parasitic organism stool for ova and parasites (O&P) is often done. Ova refers to the eggs,
internally with further from one host to another by their and parasite refers to the larval or adult forms.
development appendages • Eosinophilia is associated with several helminth infections, especially

when roundworm larvae migrate through tissue; seen in:
EXPOSURE AND INFECTION
o Roundworms: Ascaris, Strongyloides, Trichina, Toxocara
Exposure Process of inoculating an infective agent
o Hookworms: Necator and Ancylostoma
Infection Establishment of infective agent inside host
o Flatworm (fluke): Schistosoma (a trematode)
Incubation Period Between infection and evidence of symptoms
• Eosinophils are an important component of the host defense against
(Clinical)
these parasites.
Pre-patent Period Between infection and demonstration of infection

(Biological)
PARASITES OF MEDICAL IMPORTANCE
SPECIAL TYPES OF INFECTION
Autoinfection Infected individual becomes his own direct
source of infection
Hyperinfection/ Infected individual is further infected with same
Superinfection species leading to massive infection

EFFECTS OF THE PARASITE ON THE HOST
Enzymatic E. histolytica trophozoites secrete cysteine
interference proteases which digest cellular material
Invasion and Plasmodium invades RBCs and causes rupture
destruction
Nutrient Diphyllobothrium latum competes with host for
deprivation available supply of Vitamin B12


MECHANISMS OF IMMUNE INVASION

Immune E. histolytica produces suppressor factor the

suppression inhibits monocyte movement

Antigenic Surface protein variation in T. gambiense

variation

Host mimicry E. granulosum carries blood group antigen

Intracellular T. gondii multiplies inside macrophages
sequestration