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Human parasites are divided into endoparasites, which cause infection inside the body, and ectoparasites, which cause infection superficially within the skin. The cysts and eggs of endoparasites may be found in feces , which aids in the detection of the parasite in the human host while also providing the means for the parasitic species to exit ...
Major groups of parasites include protozoans (organisms having only one cell) and parasitic worms (helminths). Of these, protozoans, including cryptosporidium, microsporidia, and isospora, are most common in HIV-infected persons. Each of these parasites can infect the digestive tract, and sometimes two or more can cause infection at the same time.
This is an accepted version of this page This is the latest accepted revision, reviewed on 19 January 2025. Relationship between species where one organism lives on or in another organism, causing it harm "Parasite" redirects here. For other uses, see Parasite (disambiguation). A fish parasite, the isopod Cymothoa exigua, replacing the tongue of a Lithognathus Parasitism is a close ...
Parasites are organisms which derive sustenance from its host while causing it harm. [2] The study of parasites and parasitic diseases is known as parasitology. [3] Medical parasitology is concerned with three major groups of parasites: parasitic protozoa, helminths, and parasitic arthropods. [2]
Obligate parasites may not necessarily spend all of their time behaving as parasites. When a parasite is permanent, a number of generations occur in or on the host of an infested individual. Head lice are an example of this. Temporary parasites are organisms whose parasitic mode of life is limited to a few or even one stage of development. [2]
There may be as many as 300,000 species of parasites affecting vertebrates, [9] and as many as 300 affecting humans alone. [10] Helminths of importance in the sanitation field are the human parasites, and are classified as Nemathelminthes (nematodes) and Platyhelminthes, depending on whether they possess a round or flattened body, respectively. [8]
Main article: Human parasite Endoparasites Protozoan organisms Common name of organism or disease Latin name (sorted) Body parts affected Diagnostic specimen Prevalence Source/Transmission (Reservoir/Vector) Granulomatous amoebic encephalitis and Acanthamoeba keratitis (eye infection) Acanthamoeba spp. eye, brain, skin culture worldwide contact lenses cleaned with contaminated tap water ...
Pinworm infection (threadworm infection in the UK), also known as enterobiasis, is a human parasitic disease caused by the pinworm, Enterobius vermicularis. [3] The most common symptom is pruritus ani, or itching in the anal area. [1]