Protist Diseases

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  eBook - PDF

  Protozoa and Human Disease

  • Mark F Wiser(Author)
  • 2010(Publication Date)
  • Garland Science

    (Publisher)

  Many important human and animal diseases are caused by protozoan pathogens (Table 1.1). These diseases impact humans directly in terms of morbidity and mortality as well as having a major impact on agriculture. In addition to being known parasites, some protozoa are considered oppor-tunistic pathogens that primarily affect immunocompromised individuals. In many parts of the world diseases caused by protozoa are on the rise and thus considered as emerging or re-emerging diseases. In addition, these dis-eases are often neglected because they are found predominantly in devel-oping countries. A wide range of disease manifestations are exhibited by protozoan pathogens reflecting the variety of organs and tissues affected. Most protozoan infections are acquired through the ingestion of specialized infective stages and several protozoan species are transmitted by arthropod vectors. What Are Protozoa? Protozoa are not easily defined because they are diverse and are often only distantly related to each other (Figure 1.1). Furthermore, many protozoa exhibit similarities to other eukaryotes and the classification of protozoa is often controversial. Because of the extreme diversity of the protozoa the only feature common to all protozoa is that they are unicellular eukaryotic microorganisms. Thus, protozoa possess typical eukaryotic organelles and in general exhibit the typical features of other eukaryotic cells.

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  eBook - ePub

  Protozoa and Human Disease

  • Mark F Wiser(Author)
  • 2010(Publication Date)
  • Garland Science

    (Publisher)

  1 Introduction to Medical Protozoology Many important human and animal diseases are caused by protozoan pathogens (Table 1.1). These diseases impact humans directly in terms of morbidity and mortality as well as having a major impact on agriculture. In addition to being known parasites, some protozoa are considered opportunistic pathogens that primarily affect immunocompromised individuals. In many parts of the world diseases caused by protozoa are on the rise and thus considered as emerging or re-emerging diseases. In addition, these diseases are often neglected because they are found predominantly in developing countries. A wide range of disease manifestations are exhibited by protozoan pathogens reflecting the variety of organs and tissues affected. Most protozoan infections are acquired through the ingestion of specialized infective stages and several protozoan species are transmitted by arthropod vectors. What Are Protozoa? Protozoa are not easily defined because they are diverse and are often only distantly related to each other (Figure 1.1). Furthermore, many protozoa exhibit similarities to other eukaryotes and the classification of protozoa is often controversial. Because of the extreme diversity of the protozoa the only feature common to all protozoa is that they are unicellular eukaryotic microorganisms. Thus, protozoa possess typical eukaryotic organelles and in general exhibit the typical features of other eukaryotic cells. For example, a membrane-bound nucleus containing the chromosomes is found in all protozoan species. However, in many protozoan species some of the organelles may be absent, or are morphologically or functionally different from those found in other eukaryotes

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  First Course in Parasitology, A

  • (Author)
  • 2014(Publication Date)
  • Library Press

    (Publisher)

  ________________________ WORLD TECHNOLOGIES ________________________ Chapter- 4 Parasitic Disease A parasitic disease is an infectious disease caused or transmitted by a parasite. Many parasites do not cause diseases. Parasitic diseases can affect practically all living organi-sms, including plants and mammals. The study of parasitic diseases is called parasi-tology. Some parasites like Toxoplasma gondii can cause disease directly, but other organisms can cause disease by the toxins that they produce. Terminology Although organisms such as bacteria function as parasites, the usage of the term parasitic disease is usually more restricted. The three main types of organisms causing these conditions are protozoa (causing protozoan infection), helminths (helminthiasis), and ectoparasites. Protozoa and helminths are usually endoparasites (usually living inside the body of the host), while ectoparasites usually live on the surface of the host. Occa-sionally the definition of parasitic disease is restricted to diseases due to endoparasites. Causes Mammals can get parasites from contaminated food or water, bug bites, or sexual contact. Ingestion of contaminated water can produce Giardia infections. Parasites normally enter the body through the skin or mouth. Close contact with pets can lead to parasite infestation as dogs and cats are host to many parasites. Approximately 240 diseases may be spread from animals to humans through parasites. Other risks that can lead people to get parasites are walking barefeet, inadequate disposal of faeces, lack of hygiene, close contact with someone who carries specific parasites, eating undercooked or exotic foods. Parasite infections are even worse when people have a high carbohydrate diet, low in protein, and high in alkaline. Sugar should be avoided when candidiasis (yeast infection) is suspected. ________________________ WORLD TECHNOLOGIES ________________________ Symptoms Symptoms of parasites may not always be obvious.

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