PARSITOLOGY

Department members.

Course Aims (ILOs):

Morphology.
Life cycles.
Distribution.
Pathogenesis.
Treatment and control.
 Teaching hours:
Lectures and practical
lessons.

Students evaluation.
Activities.
 Assessment:
Knowledge and understanding.

Intellectual skills.

General and transferable skills.

 MCQ 2007-2008
70
63
60

50
46
40
37 36
30
23
20 19
13
10

0 0 1 1
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Results of Parasitology Exam 3rd
year, 2007-2008
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
f+A P G VG Ex
Good Luck for 2007-2008

Third year Medical

Students
GENERAL PARSITOLOGY
 The word parasite comes from the
Greek word parasitos that means a
[plant or animal that lives upon or
within another living organism at
whose expense it obtains some
advantage].

The science that deals with this type

of relationship is termed Parasitology.

Protozoa , helminths and arthropods

 Parasite and Parasitism:

Symbiosis, an obligatory relation

between two organisms.
Mutualism.
Commensalism.
Parasitism: A Host and A Parasite.
Types of parasites:
According to the relation with the hosts
body they are either:
Ectoparasite (infestation).
Endoparasite (infection).
According to the life history:
Facultative parasite.
Obligate parasite.
Incidental parasite.
Pseudoparasite.
Coprozoic or spurious parasite.
Erratic or ectopic parasite.
Opportunistic parasites.
 According to the time of parasitism:
Temporary parasite.
Permanent parasite.

According to the number of the hosts:

Monoxenous.
Heteroxenous.
 Types of hosts:
According to the life cycle of the parasite the host is
considered :
Definitive or final host.
Intermediate host.
Reservoir host.
Paratenic host: ( the paraste in an arrested state) .
Transfer host.
Incidental host.
Vector, this is special name given to arthropods that
share actively in the life cycle of parasites as
intermediate or definitive or transfer hosts and help in
infecting man and animals by them.
 Scientific nomenclature (taxonomy):
Phylum Class Order Family
Genus Species superfamily -
subfamily and subspecies.
The family name ends by idea, the
superfamily by oidea and the
subfamily ends by inae. The names
are binomial for species and trinomial
for subspecies e.g. Schistosoma
hematobium.
Geographic distribution:
The parasite is either endemic or epizootic
attacking many susceptible individuals in a
new area in a short time.
Endemicity of parasites depends on the
presence of:
Suitable or susceptible host.
Suitable environment .
Sanitary conditions of the community .
The mode of the life cycle of the parasite.
Migration of populations have spread
parasitic diseases allover the world.
Parasitic infection and disease:
A carrier state.

The mode of transmission :

Water.
Soil.
Air.
Arthropods.
Congenital or connate transmission of
the parasites from mother to foetus .
Blood transfusion.
Sexual relations.
Effects of parasite on the host:
Mechanical effects.
Invasion and destruction of the host cells .
Inflammatory reaction to the parasite or
parasitic products.
Facilitation of secondary infection by
bacteria.
Drain of hosts nourishment causing several
deficiency manifestations, growth
retardation and anemia.
toxic effect of some parasitic products may
affect the host e.g. bone marrow depression
or some nervous manifestations
Prevention of parasitic infection:
For prevention of parasitic infection :
Treatment of infected individuals .
Education in personal prophylaxis .
Sanitary control for food, water, living and
working conditions and for waste disposal.
Destruction or control for reservoir hosts
and vectors to limit transmission of
diseases.
Application of biologic barriers to the
transmission of parasites, e.g. by use of
some types of fish that feed on mosquitoe
larvae.