PARASITOLOGY

Parasitology (Greece: Para = beside, Sitos = food)

 parasitos "somebody who eats from another's table”

Parasitology is a science that deals with

organisms living in the human body (the host)
and the medical significance of this host-
parasite relationship.

A parasite is a living organism, which takes

its nourishment and other needs from a host
 HISTORY OF PARASITOLOGY &
TOPICAL MEDICINE
Helminthes: known in the Ancient Greece,
Rome, China & Arab World (Spontaneous
Generation Theory)

Malaria: recognized for over 4000 years,

reference can be found in a Chinese
document from 1700 BC
: Hippocrates worked on it but his
teachings were lost until mid 17th century
& then another Physician discovered it
Chagas Disease: Carlos Ribeiro Justiniano
Chagas described in 1909, ignored in 1920s
& not a major problem till 1960s

Work of Leeuwenhoek: 17th century were he

made descriptions of protozoa, bacteria &
speermatozoa (animalcules); Giardia
Kala Azar or Black Fever: Probably existed
for centuries in Bengal & China but first
recognized outbreaks was in 1824 in
Jessore, India (Deaths of 750,000 people in 3
years)
Advances in microscope Technology
In 1823,achromatic lens was developed
that led to discovery of cell nucleus by R.
Brown
In 1833, the nucleolus in plant cells by
Schleiden, cells in animals by Schwann,
mitochondria in 1858 by Kolliker & finally
the Cell Theory by Schleiden & Schwann in
1839
In 1858, Virchow stated that cells come
from cells & each cell is an organism
Advances in microscope Technology
 In 1878, oil immersion lens led to the discovery
of chromosomes by Fleming in 1879
 In 1886, apochromatic lens

 Pasteur proved that SPonatneous Generation

did not occur
 Koch discovered that microorganisms caused
diseases
 Concept of vector-borne parasitic diseases &
foundation of Tropical Medicine (Patrick
Manson) from which modern parasitology was
derived
Advances in microscope Technology
 In 1877, Manson learned the discoveries of
Bancroft (Filarial worm in blood & tissues of
patient woth Elephantiasis disease)
 In 1898, Manson was convinced by Ronal Ross
that mosquitoes could possibly transmit
malaria. He tested his theory by using
Anopheles mosquitoes

Leishmann - Donovan work: In 1901,

Leishmann studied a7 published it in 1903
the AMASTIGOTE forms of Leishmania
Donovani
: At the same tine, Donovan discovered the
David Bruce: Discovered a new trypanosome,
Trypanosoma brucei (In South Africa the cause of
a disease of domestic animals called Nagana)
: first to prove that an insect carries a
protozoan causing a disease

Sleeping sickness: This is a prolonged

debilitating fever, after few months become
confused & stupurous, often may develop
enlarged lymph nodes & spleen, ultimately relapse
into coma & die
:In 1903, Bruce went to Uganda to
investigate human Sleeping Sickness
Plasmodium: In 1880, Charles Laveran in Alegria
discovered that malaria is caused by
parasites
: In 1882, Laveran visited Rome & showed his
parasites to 2 scientists - Marchiafava & Celli
: In 1884, they saw an active ameboid
movement (trophozoite) in RBCs of malarial
patients & named it Plasmodium malariae & did
not refer to Laveran
: Camilo Golgi in Pavia was also studying
malaria & recofnized several other species
: In 1895, Italians discovered P. falciparum life
cycle (Ronald Ross, Giobanni Battista Grassi,
Modern Parasitology:
In recent years, the study of parasites has
had a resurgence of interest due to
development of genetics, cell & molecular
biology
Close attachment of parasitology to
Tropical medicine
WHO recently stated 6 major human
tropical diseases, first 5 caused by
parasites
MAJOR HUMAN TROPICAL DISEASES
African Trypanosomiasis
Leishmaniasis
Schistosomiasis
Filarosomia
Malaria

Leprosy
 Protozoalogy
(single celled
animals)
Parasitolog
y
Helminthology
(worms)

Arthropodology
Types of Parasites
Parasite can be typed according to:
I. Habitat
Endoparasite

 Parasite that lives inside the body of its host

 May be just under the surface or deep in the body
E.g. Tapeworms, flukes, protozoan
Ectoparasite

 Parasite that lives on the outside surface of its

host; E.g. Flea, leeches, ticks
II. Dependency on the host
Obligate Parasite

A parasite that is entirely dependent upon a

host for its survival. e.g. Plasmodium spp.

Facultative Parasite

A parasite that may be parasitic upon another

organism but can exist independently. E.g.

Naegleria fowleri
III. Pathogenicity:

 Pathogenic parasites – parasites that have the

potential to cause disease.

 Non-Pathogenic – parasites that do not cause

disease under normal circumstances.

 Opportunistic parasites – parasites that can

cause diseases when the immune system of the

host is suppressed.
IV. Life cycle
Monoxenous parasites:
Requiring only a single host to complete the life cycle.

Have a direct life cycle (E.g. Ascaris lumbricoides)

Heteroxenous parasites:
Those which require two or more hosts to complete their

life cycle (E.g. Plasmodium species)

Have indirect life cycle (require an intermediate host)
V. Other types of parasites
Accidental parasite – when a parasite
attacks an unnatural host and survives. E.g
Hymenolepis diminuta (rat tapeworm).

 Erratic parasite - is one that wanders in to

an organ in which it is not usually found E.g.
Entamoeba histolytica in the liver or lung of
humans.
Route of Transmission
 is a path in which the parasite enters to the body of
a susceptible host
I. Alimentary tract - ingestion of infective stage of
parasites:
 In food, water or hands contaminated with faeces,
E.g. E. histolytica, E. vermicularis, etc.
 In raw or undercooked meat,
E.g. T. saginata, T. solium, T. spiralis
 In raw or undercooked fish, crab, or water vegetation
E.g. intestinal flukes
 Water containing Cyclope e.g., D. medinensis
II. Skin and mucous membranes
 Skin penetration when in Contact with:

Faecally polluted soil,

E.g. S.stercoralis, Hook worms

Water containing infective stages of the parasite

E.g. Cercaria of Schistosome species

 Through Insect Bite,

E.g. Filarial worms, Trypanosoma spp.,

Plasmodium spp.
 Sexual Contact

E.g. Trichomonas vaginalis

 Kissing

E.g. Trichomonas gingivalis, T. tenax

III. Transmammary
E.g. S. stercoralis
IV. Respiratory tract- inhalation of contaminated air
E.g. E. vermicularis,
V. Transplacental
E.g. T. gondii
Simple or direct life cycle
Also called monoxenous (only one host is

required to complete its cycle)

The parasite often spends most of its life,

usually as an adult, and reproduces

Transmitted from one host to another

through the air, by a fomite, or in

contaminated food or water.
Indirect life cycle
Also called heteroxenous (requires 2 or

more hosts to complete its life cycle)

Frequently this may involve passing

through a number of developmental stages

& environment
Why do we study life cycles?

A parasite’s life cycle consists of two

common phases
I. one phase involves the route a parasite
follows inside the body. This information
provides an understanding of the-
 symptomatology and pathology
 the method of diagnosis
 selection of appropriate medication
II. The other phase, the route a parasite

follows outside of the body, provides

crucial info pertinent to
 epidemiology,
 prevention, and
 control
 Phylum
Sarcomastigophora

Phylum Apicomplexa
Protozoalogy
Phylum Microsporidia

Phylum Ciliophora

Phylum Nematoda

Medical Parasitology Helminthology Phylum Trematoda

Phylum Cestoda

Phylum Insecta

Phylum Crustacea
Arthropodology
Phylum Arachnida

Phylum Myriapoda
PARASITIC PROTOZOA

In the five kingdom system of

classification of living organisms, Protozoa are
in the kingdom Protista, together with
algae.

Most Protozoa are unicellular, but some

are multicellular.
1. Amoebas (amoeba)- move by means of
pseudopodia (false feet).

2. Flagellates – move by means of whip-like

flagella.

3. Ciliates – move by means of hair-like cilia.

Non-motile: Sporozoa – has no

pseudopodia, no flagella, or cilia, therefore
exhibit no motility
HELMINTHS

- means parasitic worm

- divided into:
Roundworms (Nematode)
Tapeworm (Cestodes)
Flukes (Trematodes).

Stages of helminth life cycle: egg, larva, and

adult worm
 PINWORM
Pinworm infection, also
called enterobiasis

Causative Agent:

Enterobius vermicularis
E vermicularis is a white
slender nematode with a
pointed tail
In humans, they reside
in the cecum, appendix,
and ascending colon.

Female pinworms are 8-

13 mm long, and males
are 2-5 mm long.
Pinworm infection is primarily a
pediatric condition, and parents are
typically infected via transmission
through their children.

Pinworm is prevalent throughout

the temperate regions of the world.
ONCOCERCA VOLVULUS
TRICHINELLA SPIRALIS
ARTHROPODS

- any of a phylum of invertebrate

animals having a segmented body,
jointed limbs, and a shell of chitin
that is shed periodically
CLASSIFICATION OF ARTHROPODS
Crustacea: has a hard shell, segmented body,
jointed appendages & mostly live in water

Chelicerata: known as arachnids composed of

2 body, a cephalothorax, abdomen & 6
appendages

Myriapoda: has many legs such as millipedes

& centipedes

Hexapoda: has 6 legs (3 pairs) &

characetrized by a head, thorax &