ParasiteBase

There exist eight main species of roundworms that infect humans. The three most known and most dangerous species are Wuchereria bancrofti, Brugia malayi (they both cause lymphatic filariasis) and Onchocerca volvulus, which is responsible for the onchocerciasis.

The larvae is transmitted through blood, usually by mosquitoes of some sort, and soon after transmission it migrates to various human tissues where it develops and lives for several years. They are usually found in lymphatic vessels and lymph nodes, where female worms produce microfilariae, which then circulate in blood and are picked up by insects feeding on blood. There are a few exceptions among this group of parasites, Onchocerca volvulus and Mansonella streptocerca for example invade and reproduce in the skin, while O. volvulus inhabits the human eye.

Treatment procedures vary from the type of infection and the parasite in question.

Malaria is an infectious disease caused by protozoan parasites. There are 156 species of Plasmodium which cause Malaria, however only four of them affect humans. Plasmodium falciparum and plasmodium vivax cause the most serious form of this disease, but the other two (Plasmodium ovale, Plasmodium malariae) can as well cause serious health problems.

These malaria parasites need two hosts for their reproduction. They are transferred by female Anopheles mosquitoes to the human blood stream, where they then continue their reproduction cycle. They multiply within the red blood cells, causing fever, shivering, flu-like illness, convulsions, anemia, tachycardia and in some rare and severe cases even coma or death.

Treatment depends on the geographical location and severity of the infection. Malaria is especially dangerous to pregnant women and children, which may develop cerebral malaria and suffer direct brain damage if not treated properly. There exist several antimalarial drugs, however they are not effective everywhere because of increasing parasite resistance to such drugs. One of the most effective drugs was chloroquine, until the malarian parasites became resistant to it across Asia and Africa. There exist several other medications and therapies, which are, as mentioned before not effective everywhere. At this moment there is no vaccine available against malaria, however there are many things that can be done to prevent an infection. Some of the most effective ways of doing that is by placing mosquito nets and using insect repellents, draining standing water to prevent mosquitoes from laying their eggs and by using insecticides in your households.

Trichuris trichiura, better known as the human whipworm is a well known parasite that finds its refuge in the human intestinal tract. Their eggs are passed with the faeces and need from fifteen to thirty days to become infective. They can be found worldwide in all kinds of soils, however they are more widely present in countries with tropical and subtropical weather and where the hygiene is not maintained so strictly.

Adult worms can grow up to four centimetres in length, while fixed in the cecum of the human body. After sixty to seventy days after infection, female whipworms start to lay about 3,000 to 20,000 eggs per day. Their lifespan is short, since they live for only about a year, however if your hygiene is not appropriate, you might find yourself in a loop, by constantly being infected by new eggs.

In case of infection, the drug of choice is Mebendazole. Albendazole can also be used as an alternative. Some of the medicines cannot be used during pregnancy or by persons with other medical problems. That is why you have to make sure to consult your doctor before using any of the above medicines to get the correct diagnose and prescription.