Some Common Parasites Affecting Humans

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Some common parasites affecting humans
Name of disease:	Comments:
Amebiasis	Entamoeba species transmitted through food, water or from person to person
Cryptosporidiosis	spread of Cryptosporidium is by water or person to person, rarely animal to man
Cyclosporiasis Isosporiasis	both can cause diarrhea in AIDS patients
Gardiasis	Giardia lamblia transmitted by contaminated tap water or by drinking water from creeks
Hookworm infestation	25% of the world population suffers from this
Intestinal parasites	usually acquired during holidays in one of the countries where hygiene is poor (also known as "traveler's diarrhea")
Leishmaniasis	Leishmania transmitted by tiny sandflies
Malaria	Plasmodium transmitted by female Anopheles mosquito
Microsporidiosis	causes severe diarrhea in AIDS patients
Schistosomiasis	larvae penetrate skin and turn into blood flukes
Tape worms	complex parasitic cycle (see text)
Toxoplasmosis	T. gondii transmitted by cat feces or from eating uncooked meat of pork, beef or lamb
Trypanosomiasis (African and American)	African T. transmitted by tsetse fly, American T. transmitted by "kissing" or "assassin bugs"
Return to top of table	Infections overview

[edit] Some Common Parasites Affecting Humans

Introduction:

Parasites are responsible for a significant percentage of human disease. Usually unsanitary conditions allow the parasite to develop. We associate this with developing countries, but a lack of water treatment plants, improper sewage disposal and a general lack of hygienic measures predispose to the inadvertent spread of parasites anywhere.

Unfortunately many of these parasites live right here in our home environment and in almost any country on earth making it important to perform at least the simple measures that can be done to prevent the spread of these diseases. Many parasites have adapted to the metabolism of the host and depend on a host in their development life cycle. The goal of treatment is to interrupt the cycle of infection and re-infection between host and parasite. When this is done, these dreadful diseases can be prevented.
In the following I will review some of the most common parasitic infestations. Simply click on the link in the table above.

Infections overview

Parasites(topoftable)

References:

1.The Merck Manual, 7^th edition, by M. H. Beers et al., Whitehouse Station, N.J., 1999. Chapter 161.

2. David Heymann, MD, Editor: Control of Communicable Diseases Manual, 18th Edition, 2004, American Public Health Association.