Added: 12/18/2005 |
Malaria and pediculosis among common parasites diseasesIt's impossible to speak about parasites diseases and not to mention the basic facts about the nature of parasites. So, parasites are regarded as organisms living in association with and at the expense of other organisms. In other words a parasite is known as an organism which nourishes by feeding on or within another animal. It is evident that the organism providing the nutrition is called the host, while the organism obtaining this nutrition is called the parasite.
Types of parasites range in size from microscopic amoebas and large intestinal worms.
Ectoparasites are found on external human body surfaces (skin, gills and fins), while endoparasites live in internal tissues and human body organs. The effect parasites have on host organisms can range from the minor harm, allowing it to live, normally reproduce and complete its typical life-cycle, to completely interfering with reproduction or those causing death of the host organism.
Parasites diseases are able to affect practically all living organisms (from plants to human). The study of parasites diseases has the name parasitology. Thus, parasitology is considered to be the study of parasites not including bacterial, fungal or viral ones.
Believe it or not, parasites within the human body occur more often than people would ever think. There are over 134 types of parasites able to live and reproduce in the human body. The majority of people have one type or another. This leads to a great number of parasites diseases common in everyday medical practice.
Thus, there are lots of parasites diseases known nowadays which are caused by different types of parasites. But we will pay attention only to two of them: malaria and pediculosis. So, malaria is a long-lasting blood disease transmitted to individuals by mosquitoes infected with the so-called malaria parasite. Attacking the human blood malaria parasite causes fever, recurring chills, and in some cases - anemia and jaundice.
Malaria is caused by one of four one-celled parasites species. It is called Plasmodium. This parasite is spread to people by the female mosquito, which feeds itself on the human blood. In spite of the fact four malaria parasites species can infect humans and therefore cause illness, only the disease caused by Plasmodium falciparum is considered to be potentially life-threatening.
Thus, malaria is one of the parasites diseases cased by blood borne parasites. Pediculosis is known as an infestation of lice on the human bodies (parasitic insects).
It is necessary to mention that lice are ectoparasites living on the human body. The disease is the most frequent in children of 3-10 years of age and their families. The disease can be spread from person to person via close physical contact. The most common symptom of pediculosis is itching. Be aware that excessive scratching of the infested areas is likely to cause sores, which may later become infected.
Thus, parasites diseases require much attention to understand their causes, typical symptoms and ways of treatment.
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