Parasite: “any organism living in or on any other living creature and deriving advantage from doing so, while causing disadvantage to the host”
Parasites are commonly acquired by eating contaminated meat, swallowing eggs on food, contaminating fingers with faecal material or through contact with infected water.
Scolex = part of tapeworm attached by suckers and hooks to gut wall of host; sometimes called head
Proglottides = segment-like units of the tapeworm body which, when mature, leave the gut of the primary host in the faeces; they are budded off from the scolex
| | Latin Name | Common Names | Symptoms | Comments |
PA2 32 | Amblyomma Americanum | lone star tick | | a major carrier of Rocky Mountain spotted fever and Lyme disease |
PA2 33 | Ancylostoma Braziliense | human hookworm | severe skin itching | |
PA2 34 | Ancylostoma Duodenale, Male | human hookworm | itching, gastrointestinal bleeding, iron deficiency | common in north Africa, northern India, northern parts of the Far East and the Andean region of South America |
PA2 35 | Ascaris Lumbricoides, Eggs | human roundworm | sometimes asymptomatic; urticaria; mild to acute colicky pain with distension; reduced appetite; larvae in lungs can provoke pneumonia | commonly found in cats and dogs |
PA2 36 | Blastocystis Hominis | | watery or loose stools, diarrhea, abdominal pain, anal itching, weight loss, and excess gas | common microscopic parasitic organism found throughout the world |
PA2 37 | Chilomastix Mesnili, Cysts | | an amoeba found in intestine | viewed as harmless by the medical profession |
PA2 38 | Chilomastix Mesnili, Trophozoites | | an amoeba found in intestine | viewed as harmless by the medical profession |
PA2 39 | Clonorchis Sinensis, Eggs | human oriental liver fluke | chronic liver disease; death if left untreated | widespread in China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam; via domestic dogs and cats |
PA2 40 | Ctenocephalides Felis, Adult | cat flea | | |
PA2 41 | Dermacentor Andersoni, Nymph | | | tick which carries Rocky Mountain fever |
PA2 42 | Dermacentor Variabilis, Male | American dog tick | | transmits spotted fever; carries Lyme disease bacteria, but unclear if can transmit it to humans |
PA2 43 | Dientamoeba Fragilis | | found in large intestine; abdominal pain, gas and mild diarrhoea | |
PA2 44 | Diphyllobothrium, Eggs | broadfish tapeworm | found in small intestine from eating raw or undercooked fish | prevalent in Scandanavia and around American Great Lakes |
PA2 45 | Dirofilaria Immitis | dog heartworm | | in dogs & cats, rarely in humans |
PA2 46 | Endolimax Nana, Cyst | | an amoeba found in intestine | viewed as harmless by the medical profession |
PA2 47 | Enterobius Vermicularis, Eggs | threadworm | often cause itching of the anus; may provoke appendicitis; lives in upper part of large intestine | the most common worm infection in U.K. ; children particularly affected |
PA2 48 | Fasciolopsis Buski, Eggs | | chronic infections may lead to inflammation, ulceration, hemorrhage, and abscesses of the small intestine | found in S E Asia |
PA2 49 | Hymenolepis Nana / Vampirolepis Nana, Eggs | dwarf tapeworm | often no symptoms; headaches, dizziness, anorexia, abdominal pain, diarrhea | a particular problem in humans in areas of high population density and close contact, and where sanitary conditions are poor; most common tapeworm worldwide |
PA2 50 | Isospora, Oocysts | | infection causes acute, non bloody diarrhea with crampy abdominal pain, which can last for weeks and result in malabsorption and weight loss | |
PA2 51 | Necator Americanus, Adult | new world hookworm | symptoms can include coughing and wheezing, but may be asymptomatic | common infection in the Americas, sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and the Pacific |
PA2 52 | Necator Americanus, Infective Larvae | new world hookworm | symptoms can include coughing and wheezing, but may be asymptomatic | common infection in the Americas, sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and the Pacific |
PA2 53 | Paragonimus Westermanii, Adult | oriental lung fluke | coughing, chest pains, fever, night sweats | most important lung fluke affecting humans, widespread in the Far East and SE Asia |
PA2 54 | Paragonimus Westermanii, Cercaria | oriental lung fluke | coughing, chest pains, fever, night sweats | most important lung fluke affecting humans, widespread in the Far East and SE Asia |
PA2 55 | Paragonimus Westermanii, Metacercaria | oriental lung fluke | coughing, chest pains, fever, night sweats | most important lung fluke affecting humans, widespread in the Far East and SE Asia |
PA2 56 | Paragonimus Westermanii, Redia | oriental lung fluke | coughing, chest pains, fever, night sweats | most important lung fluke affecting humans, widespread in the Far East and SE Asia |
PA2 57 | Pulex Irritans, Adult | human flea | | common flea |
PA2 58 | Sarcoptes Scabiel | itch mite, mange mite | scabies | |
PA2 59 | Schistosoma Haematobium, Eggs | blood fluke | urinary tract infection, bilharzia | found in Africa and Middle East |
PA2 60 | Schistosoma Haematobium, Female | blood fluke | urinary tract infection, bilharzia | found in Africa and Middle East |
PA2 61 | Schistosoma Japonicum, Eggs | blood fluke | fever, bloody diarrhoea, bilharzia | found in Far East, but eradicated in Japan |
PA2 62 | Schistosoma Japonicum, Male | blood fluke | fever, bloody diarrhoea, bilharzia | found in Far East, but eradicated in Japan |
PA2 63 | Schistisoma Mansoni, Male | blood fluke | bilharzia | found in Africa, parts of S. America, the Caribbean and Arabia |
PA2 64 | Strongyloides Parasitic, Female | | often asymptomatic, but heavy infestation leads to bloody diarrhoea, anaemia and abdominal pain | tropical and subtropical countries, particularly South East Asia, Brazil and Columbia |
PA2 65 | Strongyloides, Larvae | | often asymptomatic, but heavy infestation leads to bloody diarrhoea, anaemia and abdominal pain | tropical and subtropical countries, particularly South East Asia, Brazil and Columbia |
PA2 66 | Toxocara, Eggs | cat and dog roundworm | permanent partial loss of vision; heavier, or repeated can lead to fever, coughing, asthma, or pneumonia | spread from dogs and cats |
