Concept of Parasitism
Concept of Parasitism – „a feature not a bug“ Some facts why parasites are unique and successful:
Parasitologists talk in „cycles“
Guinea-worm disease
Which parasite stage of guinea worms
infect humans?
Life cycle of Dracunculus medinensis
—> L3 stage infects humans
Pathology of Dracunculus medinensis
Guinea-worm disease Treatment of Dracunculus medinensis
Guinea-worm disease Epidemiology of Dracunculus medinensis
—> Guinea-worm Eradication Program
Eradicating Guinea-worm disease
Which factors influence GW eradication?
infections in non-human animal species are complicating control efforts
What is the difference between a
monoxenous and a heteroxenous
parasite?
one host vs more hosts
What is a zoonosis?
A zoonosis is an infectious disease that has jumped from a non-human animal to humans
Does a parasite with a narrow host
specifity infect many or few species?
A parasite with narrow host specificity infects few host species. Host specificity refers to the range of host species a parasite can infect and successfully complete its life cycle. A parasite with a narrow host specificity has evolved to infect and exploit a particular host or a closely related group of hosts. In contrast, parasites with broad host specificity can infect a wide range of host species.
Which factors influence GW
eradication?
Water Supply and Access to Safe Water
Community Engagement and Education
Last changeda year ago
