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Definitive or primary host – an organism in which the parasite reaches the adult stage and reproduces sexually, if possible. This is the final host. Secondary or intermediate host – an organism that harbors the sexually immature parasite and is required by the parasite to undergo development and complete its life cycle. It often acts as a ...
A parasite is an organism that live on or within another organism called the host. These include organisms such as: [4] Plasmodium spp., the protozoan parasite which causes malaria. The six species infective to humans are P. falciparum, P. malariae, P. vivax, P. ovale wallikeri, P. ovale curtisi, and P. knowlesi.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to concepts related to infectious diseases in humans.. Infection – transmission, entry/invasion after evading/overcoming defense, establishment, and replication of disease-causing microscopic organisms (pathogens) inside a host organism, and the reaction of host tissues to them and to the toxins they produce.
Other adaptations of the commensal pathogen include the ability to grow at host temperature, create biofilms, resist reactive oxygen species (ROS) created as part of the human immune response to fight off infection, adapt to different pHs [8] (relevant for being carried in the blood in different parts of the body) and adapt to low nutrient or ...
Cross-species transmission is the most significant cause of disease emergence in humans and other species. [citation needed] Wildlife zoonotic diseases of microbial origin are also the most common group of human emerging diseases, and CST between wildlife and livestock has appreciable economic impacts in agriculture by reducing livestock productivity and imposing export restrictions. [2]
Changes in a host’s behaviour following infection with obligate parasites are extremely common. [12] Unusual behaviour observed in infected individuals is noted, and if its complexity suggests that this behaviour will benefit the transmission of the parasite, then this is said to be an example of adaptive manipulation. [ 13 ]
In parasitology and epidemiology, a host switch (or host shift) is an evolutionary change of the host specificity of a parasite or pathogen. For example, the human immunodeficiency virus used to infect and circulate in non-human primates in West-central Africa, but switched to humans in the early 20th century.
Disease is described as a decrease in performance of normal functions of an individual caused by many factors, which is not limited to infectious agents. [1] Furthermore, wildlife disease is a disease when one of the hosts includes a wildlife species. In many cases, wildlife hosts can act as a reservoir of diseases that spillover into domestic ...