| Parasitic disease | 
| Classification and external resources | 
| MeSH | D010272 | 
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 organisms, including plants and mammals. The study of parasitic diseases is called parasitology. The share of parasitic diseases account for about 14 000 000 deaths per year, representing 25% of global mortality - one in four deaths according to the WHO.
Some parasites like Toxoplasma gondii and Plasmodium spp. can cause disease directly, but other organisms can cause disease by the toxins that they produce.
Contents
- 1 Terminology
- 2 Signs and symptoms
- 3 Causes
- 4 Treatment
- 5 See also
- 6 References
 
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.[1] Protozoa and helminths are usually endoparasites (usually living inside the body of the host), while ectoparasites usually live on the surface of the host. Occasionally the definition of "parasitic disease" is restricted to diseases due to endoparasites.[2]
Signs and symptoms
Symptoms of parasites may not always be obvious. However, such symptoms may mimic anemia or a hormone deficiency.[3] Some of the symptoms caused by several worm infestation can include itching affecting the anus or the vaginal area, abdominal pain, weight loss, increased appetite, bowel obstructions, diarrhea, and vomiting eventually leading to dehydration, sleeping problems, worms present in the vomit or stools, anemia, aching muscles or joints, general malaise, allergies, fatigue, nervousness. Symptoms may also be confused with pneumonia or food poisoning.[4]
The effects caused by parasitic diseases range from mild discomfort to death. The nematode parasites Necator americanus and Ancylostoma duodenale cause human hookworm infection, which leads to anaemia and protein malnutrition. This infection affects approximately 740 million people in the developing countries, including children and adults, of the tropics specifically in poor rural areas located in sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, South-East Asia and China. Chronic hookworm in children leads to impaired physical and intellectual development, school performance and attendance are reduced. Pregnant women affected by a hookworm infection can also develop aneamia, which results in negative outcomes both for the mother and the infant. Some of them are: low birth weight, impaired milk production, as well as increased risk of death for the mother and the baby.[5]
Causes
See also: List of human parasitic diseases
Mammals can get parasites from contaminated food or water, bug bites, or sexual contact. Ingestion of contaminated water can produce Giardia infections.[6]
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.
Other risks that can lead people to acquire parasites are walking barefeet, inadequate disposal of faeces, lack of hygiene, close contact with someone carrying specific parasites, and eating undercooked or exotic foods.
Parasites can also be transferred to their host by the bite of an insect vector, i.e. mosquito, bed bug.
Treatment
Albendazole and mebendazole have been the treatments administered to entire populations to control hookworm infection. However, it is a costly option and both children and adults become reinfected within a few months after deparasitation occurs raising concerns because the treatment has to repeatedly be administered and drug resistance may occur.[7]
Another medication administered to kill worm infections has been pyrantel pamoate. For some parasitic diseases, there is no treatment and, in the case of serious symptoms, medication intended to kill the parasite is administered, whereas, in other cases, symptom relief options are used.[8] Recent papers have also proposed the use of viruses to treat infections caused by protozoa.[9][10]
See also
References
- ^ "About Parasites | CDC DPD". 
- ^ "Intestinal Protozoal Diseases: eMedicine Pediatrics: General Medicine". Retrieved 2010-04-25. 
- ^ "Parasite Infection and Parasite Treatment". Retrieved 2010-07-07. 
- ^ "Parasitic Diseases". Retrieved 2010-07-07. 
- ^ "Hookworm disease". Retrieved 2010-07-07. 
- ^ "Parasitic Diseases". Retrieved 2010-07-07. 
- ^ "Disease Burden". Retrieved 2010-07-07. 
- ^ "Parasitic diseases". Retrieved 2010-07-07. 
- ^ Keen, E. C. (2013). "Beyond phage therapy: Virotherapy of protozoal diseases". Future Microbiology 8 (7): 821–823. doi:10.2217/FMB.13.48. 
- ^ Hyman, P.; Atterbury, R.; Barrow, P. (2013). "Fleas and smaller fleas: Virotherapy for parasite infections". Trends in Microbiology 21 (5): 215–220. doi:10.1016/j.tim.2013.02.006. PMID 23540830. 
 
| 
| Pathology: Medical conditions and ICD code |  
|  |  
| (Disease / Disorder / Syndrome / Sequence, Symptom / Sign, Injury, etc.) |  
|  |  
| (A/B, 001–139) | 
Infectious disease/Infection: Bacterial disease
Viral diseaseParasitic disease
Protozoan infectionHelminthiasisEctoparasitic infestationMycosisZoonosis |  
|  |  
| (C/D, 
 140–239 &279–289)
 | 
| Cancer (C00–D48, 140–239) |  |  
|  |  
| Myeloid hematologic (D50–D77, 280–289) |  |  
|  |  
| Lymphoid immune (D80–D89, 279) | 
ImmunodeficiencyImmunoproliferative disorderHypersensitivity |  |  
|  |  
| (E, 240–278) | 
Endocrine diseaseNutrition disorderInborn error of metabolism |  
|  |  
| (F, 290–319) |  |  
|  |  
| (G, 320–359) | 
Nervous system disease
Neuromuscular disease |  
|  |  
| (H, 360–389) |  |  
|  |  
| (I, 390–459) | 
Cardiovascular disease
Heart diseaseVascular disease |  
|  |  
| (J, 460–519) | 
Respiratory disease
Obstructive lung diseaseRestrictive lung diseasePneumonia |  
|  |  
| (K, 520–579) | 
Oral and maxillofacial pathology
Tooth diseasesalivary gland diseasetongue diseaseDigestive disease
EsophagealStomachEnteropathyLiverPancreatic |  
|  |  
| (L, 680–709) | 
Skin diseaseskin appendages
Nail diseaseHair diseaseSweat gland disease |  
|  |  
| (M, 710–739) | 
Musculoskeletal disorders: MyopathyArthropathyOsteochondropathy
 |  
|  |  
| (N, 580–629) | 
Urologic disease
NephropathyUrinary bladder diseaseMale genital diseaseBreast diseaseFemale genital disease |  
|  |  
| (O, 630–679) | 
Complications of pregnancyObstetric labor complicationPuerperal disorder |  
|  |  
| (P, 760–779) |  |  
|  |  
| (Q, 740–759) |  |  
|  |  
| (R, 780–799) |  |  
|  |  
| (S/T, 800–999) | 
Bone fractureJoint dislocationSprainStrainSubluxationHead injuryChest traumaPoisoning |  | 
| 
| Amoebozoal diseases (A06, 006) |  
|  |  
| Lobosea (free-living)
 | 
| Centramoebida | 
Acanthamoeba (Acanthamoeba keratitis, Cutaneous acanthamoebiasis, Granulomatous amoebic encephalitis, Acanthamoeba infection) 
Balamuthia mandrillaris (Balamuthia amoebic encephalitis, Balamuthia infection) |  
|  |  
| Flabellinea | 
Sappinia diploidea/Sappinia pedata (Sappinia amoebic encephalitis) |  |  
|  |  
| Conosa/Archamoebae | 
Entamoeba histolytica (Amoebiasis, Amoebic dysentery, Amoebic liver abscess, Cutaneous amoebiasis, Amoebic brain abscess, Amebiasis cutis)Entamoeba gingivalis |  
|  |  
| 
| Index of protozoan infection |  
|  |  
| Description | 
AlveolataAmoebozoaExcavataProtist |  
|  |  
| Disease | 
AmoebozoaChromalveolateExcavata |  
|  |  
| Treatment | 
Drugs
amoeboachromalveolateexcavata |  |  | 
| 
| Infectious diseases – Parasitic disease: protozoan infection: Excavata (A06–A07, B55–B57, 007, 085–086) |  
|  |  
| Discicristata | 
| Trypanosomatida | 
| Trypanosomiasis |  |  
|  |  
| Leishmaniasis | 
Leishmania major / L. mexicana / L. aethiopica / L. tropica
L. braziliensis
Mucocutaneous leishmaniasisL. donovani / infantum
 |  |  
|  |  
| Schizopyrenida | 
Naegleria fowleri
Primary amoebic meningoencephalitis |  |  
|  |  
| Trichozoa | 
| Diplomonadida | 
Giardia lamblia (Giardiasis) |  
|  |  
| Trichomonadida | 
Trichomonas vaginalis
Dientamoeba fragilis
 |  |  
|  |  
| 
| Index of protozoan infection |  
|  |  
| Description | 
AlveolataAmoebozoaExcavataProtist |  
|  |  
| Disease | 
AmoebozoaChromalveolateExcavata |  
|  |  
| Treatment | 
Drugs
amoeboachromalveolateexcavata |  |  | 
| 
| Protozoan infection: Chromalveolate and Archaeplastida (A07, B50–B54,B58, 007, 084) |  
|  |  
| Chromalveolate | 
| Alveolate | 
| Apicomplexa | 
| Conoidasida/ Coccidia
 | 
Coccidia: Cryptosporidium hominis/Cryptosporidium parvum
Cystoisospora belli
Cyclospora cayetanensis
Toxoplasma gondii
 |  
|  |  
| Aconoidasida | 
Plasmodium falciparum/vivax/ovale/malariae
 |  |  
|  |  
| Ciliophora |  |  |  
|  |  
| Heterokont | 
Blastocystis
Pythium insidiosum
 |  |  
|  |  
| Archaeplastida | 
Algaemia: Prototheca wickerhamii
 |  
|  |  
| 
| Index of protozoan infection |  
|  |  
| Description | 
AlveolataAmoebozoaExcavataProtist |  
|  |  
| Disease | 
AmoebozoaChromalveolateExcavata |  
|  |  
| Treatment | 
Drugs
amoeboachromalveolateexcavata |  |  | 
| 
| 
Infectious diseasesParasitic disease: helminthiases
 |  
|  |  
| Flatworm/ platyhelminth
 | 
| Fluke/trematode (Trematode infection)
 | 
| Blood fluke | 
Schistosoma mansoni/japonicum/mekongi/haematobium
Trichobilharzia regenti
 |  
|  |  
| Liver fluke | 
Clonorchis sinensis
Dicrocoelium dendriticum/Dicrocoelium hospes
Fasciola hepatica/gigantica
Opisthorchis viverrini/Opisthorchis felineus
 |  
|  |  
| Lung fluke | 
Paragonimus westermani/Paragonimus kellicotti
 |  
|  |  
| Intestinal fluke | 
Fasciolopsis buski
Metagonimus yokagawai
Heterophyes heterophyes
 |  |  
|  |  
| Cestoda (Tapeworm infection)
 | 
| Cyclophyllidea | 
Echinococcus granulosus/Echinococcus multilocularis
Taenia saginata/Taenia asiatica/Taenia solium (pork)
Hymenolepis nana/Hymenolepis diminuta
 |  
|  |  
| Pseudophyllidea | 
Diphyllobothrium latum
Spirometra erinaceieuropaei
Diphyllobothrium mansonoides
 |  |  |  
|  |  
| Roundworm/ 
 nematodeinfection)(Nematode
 
 | 
| Secernentea | 
| Spiruria | 
| Camallanida |  |  
|  |  
| Spirurida | 
| Filarioidea (Filariasis)
 | 
Onchocerca volvulus
Loa loa
Mansonella
Dirofilaria repens
Wuchereria bancrofti/Brugia malayi/Brugia timori
 |  
|  |  
| Thelazioidea | 
Gnathostoma spinigerum/Gnathostoma hispidum
Thelazia
 |  
|  |  
| Spiruroidea |  |  |  |  
|  |  
| Strongylida (hookworm)
 | 
Hookworm infectionAncylostoma duodenale/Ancylostoma braziliense
AncylostomiasisCutaneous larva migransNecator americanus
Angiostrongylus cantonensis
Metastrongylus
 |  
|  |  
| Ascaridida | 
Ascaris lumbricoides
Anisakis
Toxocara canis/Toxocara cati
Visceral larva migrans/ToxocariasisBaylisascarisDioctophyme renale
Parascaris equorum |  
|  |  
| Rhabditida | 
Strongyloides stercoralis
Trichostrongylus spp.
Halicephalobus gingivalis |  
|  |  
| Oxyurida |  |  |  
|  |  
| Adenophorea | 
Trichinella spiralis
Trichuris trichiura (Trichuriasis * Whipworm)Capillaria philippinensis
Capillaria hepatica |  |  
|  |  
| 
| Index of parasites and pests |  
|  |  
| Description |  |  
|  |  
| Disease |  |  
|  |  
| Treatment |  |  |  | 
| 
| Diseases from ectoparasitics and arthropods (B85–B89, 132–134) |  
|  |  
| Insecta | 
| Louse | 
Body louse / Head lousePediculosisHead lice infestationPediculosis corporis |  
|  |  
| Hemiptera |  |  
|  |  
| Fly | 
Dermatobia hominis / Cordylobia anthropophaga / Cochliomyia hominivorax (Myiasis) |  
|  |  
| Flea |  |  |  
|  |  
| Arachnida | 
| Acariasis / mange (mites) | 
Trombidiformes: TrombiculaTrombiculosisChigger biteDemodex brevis / Demodex folliculorumDemodicosisDemodex mite bitePyemotes herfsiCheyletiellaCheyletiellosisSarcoptiformes: Sarcoptes scabieiScabies 
Dermanyssus gallinaeLiponyssoides sanguineus |  
|  |  
| Ticks |  |  |  
|  |  
| Crustacea | 
| Pentastomida | 
Linguatula serrataLinguatulosisPorocephalus crotali / Armillifer armillatusPorocephaliasis |  |  
|  |  
| 
| Index of parasites and pests |  
|  |  
| Description |  |  
|  |  
| Disease |  |  
|  |  
| Treatment |  |  |  |