Endoparasites Flashcards
What is a parasite?
Organism which depends on another for its survival to the detriment of its host.
What is an endoparasite?
Lives inside the body. Major cause of illness.
Basic features of protozoa?
- Unicellular
- Too small to see by eye
- Some have complex life cycles involving more than one host
What is malaria an example of?
Endoparasite - protozoa sporozoa
What problems does protozoa amoebae cause?
Invades large bowel lining, causing dysentery
- Abdominal cramps
- Bloody diarrhoea
How is protozoa amoebae spread?
Spread via contaminated food and water (poor hygiene / sanitation)
What is an example of protozoa amoebae?
Entamoeba histolytica
What problems do protozoa sporozoa cause?
Infect red blood cells and liver
- Fever, headache, joint pains
- Kidney failure, coma, death
Lifecycle in both humans and mosquitoes
What is an example of protozoa sporozoa?
Plasmodium falciparum (malaria)
What are helminths (worms)?
Complex organisms. Some have complex life cycles with more than one host. Other species have their own helminths which can accidentally cause human disease
Features of Cestodes (tapeworms)
- Segmented, flat
- Internal parasite of human (obligatory host)
How is cestodes diagnosed?
Stool microscopy for eggs
What are the intermediate hosts for tapeworms?
Cattle - invade animal and get into muscle then into stomach of humans when they eat meat
Features of Trematodes (flukes)
- Unsegmented, flat
- Human host (infection of veins around bladder)
Symptoms of trematodes
Bladder inflammation, bleeding into urine (haematuria)
