Introduction Parasitology

• Parasites - organisms that live on and obtain nutrients from another organism
• Parasitology - field that followed by the introduction to epidemiology; contribute to frequency and distribution of parasites, parasite - host relationships, and parasitic life cycles
• Documentation of parasites existence by:

  • Persians
  • Egyptians
  • Greeks
• Infection - responsible for invasion in the body
• Infestation - invasion on the body
• Disease - process with characteristics symptoms, emerged, determining an effective means of healing infected persons become a priority.
• Vectors - responsible for transmission
• Host - harbors parasites
• Parasitic - disease caused by the presence of parasites
• Epidemiology - important to study and monitor parasitic trends
• Parasitic infections can be found in underdeveloped tropical and subtropical countries like:

  • Haiti
  • Guatemala
  • Myanmar (Burma)
  • African continent
• Mode of Transmission - parasite gains entry into unsuspecting host
• arthropods - insects
• Study of parasite - host relationships: (1) recognition, (2) search of pattern, (3) development of methodology to study pattern
• Obligatory parasite - cannot survive outside of host
• Facultative parasite - capable of existing independently of a host
• Endoparasite - established inside of the host
• Ectoparasite - established in or on exterior surface of host
• Accidental or Incidental host - harbors a parasite
• Definitive host - adult sexual phase of parasite occurs
• Intermediate host - larval asexual phase of parasite occurs
• Reservoir host - harbor parasite that are parasitic; may become infected
• Transport host - host that is responsible for transferring parasite
• Carrier - harbors parasite but no symptoms but can infect others
• Symbiosis - living together i.e Symbrock
• Commensalism - mahal mo siya pero siya nonchalant (one benefits; other neutral)
• Mutualism - parehas gumagamit sa isa't isa (parasites edition)
• Parasatism - kuha ng kuha yung isa habang nasasaktan na yung isa
• Commensal - relate kay commensalism
• Pathogenic - toxic love (parasite version) (ability to cause disease)
• Parasitic life cycles range from simple to complex
• Infective stage - morphologic form that invades humans
• Diagnostic stage - detected via lab retrieval method
• Elephantiasis - swelling/enlargement in area of body cause by parasite
• Stool - common sample used to study parasite
• O&P = Ova and Parasite
• Artifacts/Confusers - impostor syndrome is real (parasite)
• -iasis = to define disease or conditions
• Protozoa - Single celled parasite
• Metozoa - multicellular worms