Introduction to Human Parasitology

I. Concept of Human Parasitology

Human Parasitology is a subject that researches the biological
features of human parasites, the relationship between the human being
and the parasites, the prevention and treatment of the parasitic diseases.
The importance of parasitology: Six major tropical
diseases to which WHO pays great attention include malaria( ),
schistosomiasis( ), filariasis( ), leishmaniasis( ),
trypanosomiasis( ) and leprosy( ). Above diseases, except
trypanosomiasis, are prevalent in China and five of them are parasitic diseases
except leprosy. Five major parasitc diseases in China are malaria,
schistosomiasis, filariasis, Leishmaniasis and hookworm disease.

II. The Scope of Human Parasitology

Medical Parasitology consists of Medical Protozology, Helminthology
and Entomology (Arthropodology).
Class Zoomastigophora Leishmania donovani
Medical
Class Lobosea
Entamoeba histolytica
Protozoology Class Sporozoa
Plasmodium vivax
Class Kinetofragminophorea Balantidium coli
Class Nematoda
Ascaris lumbricoides
Medical
Class Trematoda
Clonorchis sinensis
Helminthology Class Cestodea
Taenia solium
Class Metacanthocephala Macracanthorhynchus
hirudinaceus
Class Insecta
Anopheles sinensis
Medical
Class Arachnida
Sarcoptes scabiei
Entomology Class Eucrustacea
crab and crayfish
Class Chilopoda.
centipede
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III. Evolution of Parasitism

endoparasite
Free living
ectoparasite
Mutualism
temporary parasite
Symbiosis Commensalism
permanent parasite
Parasitism

obligatory parasite
Carrier
facultative parasite
Parasite
Host
accidental parasite

Patient
opportunistic parasite

Final host Intermediate host Reservoir host Paratenic host

Biohelminth

Zoonosis Larva migrans

Life Cycle
infective stage infective route infective mode site of inhabitation
IV. Common Terms of Parasitology
(1)

Symbiosis Two different organisms live together

and interact on each other, in this association one partner lives in or
on the other. including 3 types: Mutualism, Commensalism,
Parasitism.

(2)

Mutualism is a permanent association in

which two different organisms so dependent on each other that life
apart is impossible, from which two partners all benefit, such as
termite and flagellate.

(3)

Commensalism is the association of two

different organisms, in which one partner is benefited while the other
is neither benefited nor injured, such as E. coli and man.

(4)

*Parasitism is the association of two different

organisms, in which one partner is benefited while the other is
injured, such as Ascaris lumbricoides and man.

(5)

Parasite : In parasitism, it is the benefited partner. It is an

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animal organism which lives in or on the host in order to obtain

nourishment and shelter and does harms to the host.
(6)

Host: In parasitism, it is the injured partner which supplies the

parasite with nourishment and shelter.

(7)

Carrier: A person who harbors parasites has no any clinical

symptom. He is an important source of infection in epidemiology.

(8)

*Definitive (final) hostis the host which harbors the adult

or sexually reproductive stage of a parasite. Man is the final host of
ascarid.

(9)

*Intermediate hostis the host which harbors the larval

or asexually reproductive stage of a parasite, according to priority they
are classified into first intermediate host, second intermediate host and so
on. Mosquitoes are the intermediat host of filariae.

(10)

*Reservoir host is the vertebrate animal host which

harbors the same species of parasite at the same stage as a human
definitive host does. It is an animal source of infection in epidemiology.
Cats are the reservoir host of liver fluke.

(11)

*Parasitic zoonosis refers to

animals parasitic diseases which can be transmitted to man. (These
animals infected with parasites are called reservoir hosts.) Liver fluke
diseases is a zoonosis.

(12)

Paratenic host or transport host is an abnormal

host in which some parasitic larvae can survive but cant develop into the
adult stage. If the larvae have a chance to enter their appropriate hosts,
they can continue to develop into adults there.

(13)

*Larva migransmeans that the parasitic larva lives in

an abnormal host in which they can not grow into the adult stage but can
wander everywhere and cause the local and systemic pathological
lesions.

(14)

Life cycle is the process of a parasites growth,

development and reproduction, which proceeds in one or more different
hosts depending on various parasites.

(15)

*Infective Stage is a stage when a parasite can invade

human body and continue to live there. The infective stage of ascarid is
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the embryonate egg.

(16)

*Infective Route is the specific entrance through

which the parasite invades the human body. Hookworms invade
human body by skin. Man gets infection with ascarid by mouth.

(17)

Infective Mode means how the parasite invades

human body, such as the cercariae of the blood fluke actively
penetrate the skin of a swimming man and the infective ascaris eggs
are swallowed by man.

(18)

Geohelminth refers to the helminths which complete their life

cycles not requiring the processes of the development in
intermediate hosts. They have only one host and a simple life cycle,
such as ascarid, hookworm, pinworm and etc.

(19)

Biohelminth refers to the helminths which have to undergo the

development in intermediate hosts to complete their life cycles, such
as filaria, liver fluke, pork tapeworm and so on.

(20)

Alternation of Generation: In life cycles of some parasites,

there is the regular alternation of sexual and asexual reproductions,
this phenomenon is called alternation of generation, such as it is in
the life cycle of Plasmodium vivax.

(21)

*Trophozoite is a living stage of protozoa when they can move,

take food and reproduce. (It is usually the pathogenic stage.)

(22)

*Cyst is the resting stage of a protozoa with a protective wall. It is

usually the infective stage. Its functions are protection, transmission
and multiplication.
Encystation
Trophozoite

Cyst

Excystation
(22)

*Mechanical Transmission: Arthropods play a role of the

transportation of pathogens, which is not indispensable for the
disease transmission, such as flies carry typhoid bacilli, ascarid eggs
and amoebic cysts.

(23)

*Biological Transmission: Pathogens have to spend a part of

their life cycle in the specific arthropods in which they multiply or
develop into the infective stage and then invade the human body
under the help of the arthropods, such as mosquitoes transmit
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malaria.

V. Three key links of parasitic disease transmission

1. Source of infection 2. Route of transmission
3. Susceptible people
excrement

secretion
food, water, finger,
mouth
blood
direct or indirect contact
skin or wound
focus of
mucosa
infection
blood transfusion, injection, placenta

intermediate host,

insects sucking blood,

congenital ,
touch soil, water, grass
VI. Parasites Harms to Man
1.

Mechanical effect of parasites on host tissues and organs: e.g.,

biliary ascariasis and larva migrans.

2.

Depriving the host of nourishment: e.g., hookworms suck blood.

3.

Toxic effect: Arthropods introduce toxin into the host skin,

inducing the host local and systemic reactions, e.g., mosquitoes,
spiders and ticks introduce venom when they insert their mouth
parts into the skin.

4.

Immuno-pathological lesion: e.g., schistosoma liver cirrhosis;

when hydatid fluid is released from the rupture of a hydatid cyst
anaphylaxis often results.

VII. Human Immunity against Parasite

The intensity, specificity and lastingness of this immunity are usually at a lower
level than those resulting from bacteria and viruses. We refer to it as Non-sterilizing
immunity (, including Premunition Concomitant immunity
). The host may be protected from superinfection () as long as the
parasites remain in the body. This situation is known as premunition(). This
may be of great importance in endemic areas in limiting the severity of infection with
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plasmodium, schistosome and etc.