PROTOZOAN

• Parasitology


  The study of the interaction between parasites and their hosts
• Parasitologist


  A person who studies parasites
• Parasites


  An organism that lives on or in a host organism and gets its food from or at the expense of its host
• Three main classes of parasites

  • Protozoa
  • Helminths
  • Ectoparasites
• Eating raw or semi-raw meat or fish can lead to getting parasites
• Being in contact with pets can lead to getting parasites
• Contaminated water or food (poor sanitation) can lead to getting parasites
• Poor hygiene can lead to getting parasites
• Unwashed hands can lead to getting parasites
• Unwashed vegetables and fruits can lead to getting parasites
• Doctors and especially pediatricians are also exposed to parasites, as their patients often have parasites
• Institutional care centers can lead to getting parasites
• Traveling to a region known to have parasites (mostly rural or developing countries) can lead to getting parasites
• Living in regions known to have parasites can lead to getting parasites
• Elderly people and children are more vulnerable to parasitic infections
• Weakened immune system e.g. HIV or AIDS can lead to getting parasites
• Nurses prevent further damage to the host especially if the hosts involve children
• Lice infestation is common among school age while pinworm is common among children aged 5-10
• Scotch tape Test is a test for children to identify a pinworm infestation
• Whipworm and Hookworm are examples of soil transmitted helminths
• The skin is the portal of entry of hookworms and Plasmodium (specie causing Malaria)
• Larvae stage of hookworms enters the human host
• Human mouth is the portal of entry of amoeba and whipworms
• In the human host, most parasites hatch in the small intestines
• Mastigophora


  The flagellates
• Sarcodina


  The ameba
• Ciliophora


  the ciliates
• Platyhelminthes


  flatworms
• trematodes


  flukes
• cestodes

  tapeworms
• nemathelminthes


  roundworms
• protozoa

  • mastigophora
  • sarcodina
  • ciliophora
  • sporozoa
• helminths

  • flatworms
  • trematodes
  • cestodes
  • roundworms
  • thorny-headed worms
• parasitic arachnids

  • ticks
  • mites
  • chiggers
  • scabies
• ectoparasitic insects

  • mosquitoes
  • tsetse flies
  • fleas
  • lice
  • bed bugs
• Malaria is caused by plasmodium and transmitted tru mosquitoe bites
• Leishmaniasis is caused by leishmania and transmitted tru sandfly bites
• african sleeping sickness caused by trypanosoma brucei tru tsetse fly bites
• chagas' disease caused by trypanosoma cruzi tru kissing bug feces
• schistosomiasis caused by schistosoma tru water