INTRO PARA

Cards (29)

  • Parasitology
    The study of parasites, organisms that live on and obtain their nutrients from another organism
  • The documentation of parasite existence by the ancient Persians, Egyptians, and Greeks dates back to prehistoric times
  • As parasites became a problem and it was realized they were responsible for infection, infestation, and disease, determining an effective means of healing infected persons became a priority
  • As more information was discovered regarding parasitic life cycles, especially the fact that transport carriers known as vectors were frequently responsible for transmission, parasite control and elimination also became important
  • Advances in other areas of medical and biologic science, coupled with the discovery of useful tools, such as microscopes, not only expanded our knowledge of parasites and their makeup, but also their relationships with hosts-that is, plants, animals, and humans known to harbor parasites
  • The escalation of disease caused by the presence of parasites because of global travel tends to result in higher parasite recovery rates
  • Enhanced preservation of specimens now allows parasites that otherwise might have been destroyed to remain viable
  • Measures are also now in place that are designed to protect the practitioner when handling samples for parasite study
  • Epidemiology
    The study and monitoring of trends in parasitic infections
  • Populations at risk for contracting parasites
    • Individuals in underdeveloped areas and countries
    • Refugees
    • Immigrants
    • Visitors from foreign countries
    • Individuals who are immunocompromised
    • Individuals living in close quarters (e.g., prisons)
    • Children who attend day care centers
  • Modes of parasite transmission
    • Ingestion of contaminated food or drink (primarily water)
    • Hand-to-mouth transfer
    • Insect bite
    • Entry via drilling through the skin
    • Unprotected sexual relations
    • Mouth-to-mouth contact
    • Droplet contamination
    • Eye contact with infected swimming water
  • Parasite-host relationships
    The study of the relationships between parasites and their hosts, including recognition of these relationships, search for patterns, and development of methodologies to study these patterns
  • Terms associated with parasite-host relationships
    • Obligatory parasite
    • Facultative parasite
    • Endoparasite
    • Ectoparasite
    • Accidental or incidental host
    • Definitive host
    • Intermediate host
    • Reservoir host
    • Transport host
    • Carrier
    • Symbiosis
    • Commensalism
    • Mutualism
    • Parasitism
    • Commensal
    • Pathogenic
  • Parasitic life cycles
    Consist of two common phases: the route a parasite follows when in or on the human body, and the route a parasite follows independently of the human body
  • Some parasites require only a definitive host, whereas others also require one or more intermediate hosts
  • Major body areas associated with parasitic disease processes
    • Gastrointestinal (GI) and urogenital (UG) tracts
    • Blood and tissue
    • Liver, lung, and other major organs
    • Miscellaneous locations, such as cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), eye, skin, and extremities
  • Symptoms associated with parasitic disease processes
    • Diarrhea
    • Fever
    • Chills
    • Abdominal pain
    • Abdominal cramping
    • Elephantiasis
    • Anemia
    • Vitamin deficiency
    • Bowel obstruction
    • Edema
    • Enlargement of major organs
    • Skin lesions
    • Blindness
  • Some persons remain asymptomatic, whereas other parasites produce severe symptoms and may result in death
  • There are several options for treating parasitic infections
  • Symptoms associated with parasitic disease processes
    • Diarrhea
    • Fever
    • Chills
    • Abdominal pain
    • Abdominal cramping
    • Elephantiasis
    • Anemia
    • Vitamin deficiency
    • Bowel obstruction
    • Edema
    • Enlargement of major organs
    • Skin lesions
    • Blindness
  • Parasite treatment options
    • Antiparasitic medications
    • Change in diet
    • Vitamin supplements
    • Fluid replacement
    • Blood transfusion
    • Bed rest
  • Parasite prevention and control strategies
    • Development and implementation of parasite awareness education programs
    • Use of insecticides and other chemicals
    • Use of protective clothing
    • Use of protective netting
    • Proper water treatment
    • Good personal hygiene
    • Proper sanitation practices
    • Proper handling, cooking, and protection of food
    • Avoidance of unprotected sexual relations
  • Careful and thorough microscopic examination of samples for parasites is essential to ensure that accurate patient results are obtained and ultimately reported
  • Suspicious forms that visually resemble parasites in terms of size and morphology are commonly encountered and are often referred to as artifacts and/or confusers
  • The scientific names of parasites are written in italics and consist of two components, genus (pl., genera) and species
  • Variations of scientific genus names are used to identify diseases and conditions associated with their presence
  • There are several different parasite classification systems, ranging from very basic to complex
  • The three major groups of clinically significant parasites
    • Single-celled parasites - Protozoa
    • Multicellular worms - Metazoa helminths
    • Arthropods (insects and their allies) - Animalia
  • Host other than the normal one that is harboring a parasite
    Accidental or incidental host