Concerned primarily with the animal parasites of humans and their medical significance, as well as their importance in human communities.
Medical Parasitology
This branch of medicine deals with tropical diseases and other medical problems of tropical regions.
Tropical Medicine
Body of knowledge concerning disease in human population or community
Epidemiology
Organism that provides food and shelter for parasites
host
These parasites are not normally “parasitic”, but become so due to impairment of host resistance.
Opportunistic parasites
These term is used for organisms responsible for transmitting the parasite from one host to another.
vector
Parasite which lives and develops outside the body of the host
ectoparasite
Parasite which lives and develops inside the body of the host
endoparasite
Term used to describe the organism in which the parasite resides in its sexual phase
definitive host
Parasite asexual life cycle takes place in this host before it is deposited in the definitive host
intermediate host
Organisms which may live either parasitic or free-living under favorable/appropriate circumstances
Facultative parasite
This parasite lives on the host for only a short period of time
Temporary
This parasite remains on or in the body of the host for its entire life
permanent
When this parasite is in its larval stage, it develops in a host that is different to that of its adult stage
Periodic
They need a host at some point in their life cycle to complete their development
Obligatory
A parasite that which establishes itself in a host where it does not ordinarily live
Incidental
The eggs of this pinworm is air borne
Enterobius vermicularis
Presence of this fluke can be assessed in a sputum exam
Paragonimus westermani
This protozoan is carried by its mosquito vector, Anopheles sp.
Plasmodium sp.
This protozoan produces lytic enzymes which causes ulceration of the stomach
Entamoeba histolytica
filamentous extension of the cytoplasm
flagella
structure that aids in ingestion of food and serves as a sensory part
cilia
temporary projections of the cytoplasm for locomotion and ingestion of food
pseudopodia
other name for multiple fission
schizogony
Primary Lesion develops in:
cecum, appendix, ascending colon, sigmoidorectal area
secondary lesion can be seen in:
extraintestinal organs and tissues
agent of primary amoebic encephalitis (PAM)
Naegleria fowleri
Manifestation of this amoebic pathology is similar to that of bacterial meningitis
Primary amoebic meningoencephalitis
Major cause of granulomatous amoebic encephalitis (GAE)
Acanthamoeba spp.
Responsible for combined GAE and granulomatous skin and lung lesions
Balamuthia mandillaris
The only infectious ciliate
Balantidium coli
This enzyme is responsible for the degradation of intestinal tissues
hyaluronidase
