Parasites of Clinical Importance
Protozoa
PARASITE ASSOCIATED DISEASE
Entamoeba hystolitica Amebiasis
Nasal contact w/ water;
Naegleria fowleri Meningo-encephalitis
Acanthamoeba keratitis
Acanthamoeba Granulomatous encephalitis
Disseminated infection
injection; entry through
Balantidium coli Balantidiasis
Giardia lamblia Giardiasis
Trichomonas vaginalis Trichomoniasis
bite of an infected tsetse
African Trypanosomiasis
Trypanosoma brucei
(Sleeping sickness)
American Trypanosomiasis
Trypanosoma cruzi
(Chagas disease)
Leishmaniasis (Neglected
Leishmania spp.
Tropical Disease) flies; congenital; blood
Bite of infected female
Plasmodium spp. Malaria
MODE OF INFECTIVE DIAGNOSTIC
PREVENTION & CONTROL
TRANSMISSION STAGE STAGE
Cyst and improved sanitation, hygiene, and water treatment;
fecal-oral route Cyst
Trophozoite Metronidazole, iodoquinol, chloroquine
refrain from water-related activities in warm
Trophozoite Trophozoite
traumatic eye damage freshwater; Amphotericin B, Miltefosine
inhalation of cysts and
trophozoites; improper
good contact lens hygiene and disinfection
contact lens-care Cyst and
Trophozoite practices; cationic antiseptic agent; Miltefosine
practices; traumatic Trophozoite
pre-existing wounds
Cyst and Tetracycline, iodoquinol. Nitrimidazine or
fecal-oral route Cyst
Trophozoite Metronidazole
Cyst and practice good hygiene;
fecal-oral route Cyst
Trophozoite metronidazole, tinidazole, and nitazoxanide
Use of condoms or dams; metronidazole (Flagyl) or
sexual intercourse Trophozoite Trophozoite
tinidazole (Tindamax)
fly; congenital; blood
transfusion Wear protective neutral-colored clothing, use insect
Bite of an infected Trypomastigote Trypomastigote repellant; control of reservoir and vector;
triatomine bug; nifurtimox or benznidazole
congenital; blood
transfusion
Reduction of sand flies population, reduction of
Bite of infected
reservoir, education in the community, prevention of
Phlebotomine sand
Promastigote Amastigote exposure to sand fly; sodium stibogluconate
(Pentostam), amphotericin B, paromomycin, and
transfusion
miltefosine (Impavido).
Trophozoite Use of bed nets, wearing of long-sleeves, apply
Anopheles mosquito;
Sporozoite Schizont insect repellant, use of indoor residual spray;
blood transfusion;
Gametocyte chloroquine, quinine, or primaquine
congenital
 Tachyzoites (in
Eating undercooked a) Cooking meat to a safe temperature; b) peeling or
groups or cysts may be
contaminated meat, thoroughly washing fruits and vegetables before
clones), observed;
exposure from infected eating; c) cleaning cooking surfaces and utensils; d)
Toxoplasma gondii Toxoplasmosis Bradyzoites (in Serology and/or
cat feces, or mother-to- pregnant women avoiding changing cat litter; and e)
tissue cysts), PCR are used
child transmission not feeding raw or undercooked meat to cats;
Sporozoites (in for diagnosis
during pregnancy pyrimethamine and sulfadiazine, plus folinic acid.
oocysts).
Swallowing Sporulated
Water filtration, swimming pools must be drained if
contaminated water Oocyst Sporulated
Cryptosporidium Cryptosporidiosis infected fecal accident is recorded, pasteurization,
while swimming or (containing Oocyst
handwashing; Nitazoxanide,
drinking sporozoites)
sporulated
immature oocyst
Indirect contact with oocyst Handwashing and personal hygiene, avoiding food
that contains a
Cystoisospora belli Isosporosis contaminated food and containing two or water that might be contaminated with stool;
spherical mass
water; oral-anal contact sporocysts (w/ Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole
of protoplasm
sporozoites)
eating or drinking Avoiding food or water that might have been
Sporulated Unsporulated
Cyclospora cayetonensis Cyclosporiasis contaminated food or contaminated with stool; Trimethoprim-
oocyst oocyst
water sulfamethoxazole

Parasites of Clinical Importance


Legend:
- Nematodes
PARASITE ASSOCIATED DISEASE
Ascaris lumbricoides Ascariasis
Trichuris trichiura
Trichuriasis
(whipworm)
Enterobius vermicularis Enterobiasis /Pinworm
(pinworm) infection
Hookworm disease or
Hookworms infection (ancylostomiasis,
necatoriasis)
Strongyloidiasis
Strongyloides stercoralis
Cochin China diarrhea
Trichinosis
Trichinella spiralis
Trichiniasis
Filarial worms Lymphatic Filariasis/
Elephantiasis (Neglected
Helminths
- Trematodes - Cestodes
MODE OF INFECTIVE DIAGNOSTIC
PREVENTION & CONTROL
TRANSMISSION STAGE STAGE
Sanitary disposal of feces, hygienic habits such as
Embryonated Fertilized/ cleansing hands before meals. Health education, do
fecal-oral route
egg Unfertilized egg no use night soils as fertilizer; Mebendazole,
Albendazole, and Levamizole, Pyrantel pamoate
Prevent contamination of soil with human feces,
fecal-oral route Embryonated Unembryonated construction of latrines, washing hands before
(alimentary) ova ova eating, washing vegetables and fruits, do not use
night soils; Mebendazole, Albendazole, Ivermectin
Fecal-oral route; via
contact with Personal cleanliness and hygiene, trimming of nails,
contaminated clothes, avoid scratching anal area, cleansing bathroom and
bedding, personal care Embryonated Eggs on perianal toilet, showering every morning and washing the
products, and furniture; egg fold anal area, frequent handwashing; Pyrantel,
inhalation followed by Mebendazole, Albendazole, antipruritic ointment,
swallowing of egg;
autoinfection
Fecal-soil-oral: Not to walk barefoot where there may be human
Ingestion of larvae and fecal contamination, effective sewage disposal
Filariform
walking barefoot on Eggs in feces system, not defecating outdoors, health education;
larvae
contaminated soil Albendazole, Mebendazole, Ferrous sulfate (for
(invades intact skin) anemia)
Wearing of shoes, sanitation, screening before
Contact with soil; fecal-
Rhabditiform transplantation, proper sewage disposal and feces
soil-oral (invades intact Filariform larva
larva management; Thiamendazole, Cambendazole, and
skin); autoinfection
Ivermectin
Encysted larva Larvae encysted Properly cook pork and feed pigs with cooked
Ingestion of improperly
in striated in muscle in garbage, pork inspection in slaughter houses using a
cooked pork
muscles of pig biopsy trichinoscope; Mebendazole and Albendazole
Bite of an infected L3 Larvae Microfilariae Large scale treatment of all at-risk population,
mosquito vector control – destruction of breeding sites;
 Tropical Disease)
 Mumu
 Loiasis (Calabar
morbidity management and disability prevention,
Swellings)
surveillance of disease in endemic areas;
 Dirofilariasis
Diethylcarbamazine citrate (DEC), Paramethyl
(human infection by phenyl stibonate, and arsenical preparation
dog heartworm)
 Onchocerciasis
(River blindness)
Preventive chemotherapy, snail control,
Cercaria environmental management, health education and
Direct skin penetration
Schistosoma spp. released by the social mobilization, sanitation, access to safe water,
Schistosomiasis of cercariae during Egg
(Blood Fluke) snail into the avoid swimming in freshwater in countries known
swimming
water to have parasite; Praziquantel, Vasnil, Oxamniquine,
Metrifonate
Fecal-oral route; Avoid eating inadequately cooked freshwater fish
Opisthorchis
Ingestion of Embryonated and shrimp, sanitary disposal of the excreta, avoid
(Clonorchis) sinensis Clonorchiasis Metacercaria
inadequately cooked egg drinking contaminated water, control of snails;
(Liver Fluke)
fish Praziquantel
Fasciola hepatica Ingestion of raw, fresh- Encysted Unembryonated
Fascioliasis Education, Wash aquatic vegetables, better herding
(Liver Fluke) water vegetation Metacercaria egg
practices, moluskicide; Praziquantel and
Fasciolopsis buski Ingestion of raw water Unembryonated
Fasciolopsiasis Metacercaria Albendazole, Bithional, triclabendazole, Surgery
(Giant intestinal fluke) plants egg
Education on food preparation, full cook shellfish,
Ingestion of infected
Paragonimus freeze fish (-20ºC for 7 days), make spitting illegal,
crab or crawfish that is Encysted Unembryonated
westermani (Lung Paragonimiasis use moluskicide to control snail population, treat
raw, partially cooked, Metacercariae egg
Fluke) patient and carriers, avoid eating raw fresh water
pickled/salted
crabs and crayfish; Praziquantel
Cysticerci in Health education, avoid eating raw pork and/or beef,
Taenia solium muscles of avoid pigs/cows eating human stool, sanitary
Taeniasis Ingestion of raw or
(Pork tapeworm) beef/pork inspection of slaughter and sanitary disposal of
undercooked pork (T. Eggs or gravid
night soils, deep freezing for meat with small
Cysticercosis (in T. solium solium) or beef (T. proglottid
Taenia saginata Embryonated numbers of cysticerci; Praziquantel, albendazole,
only) saginata)
(Beef tapeworm) egg Mebendazole, Paromomycin, Quinacrine
(cysticercosis) hydrochloride and atabrin
Dibothriocephalus latus Diphyllobothriasis Ingestion of fish that Plerocercoid Unembryonated Treatment of infected patients, personal hygiene and
(Broad tapeworm/ Fish harbor infectious larvae larvae egg environmental sanitation, prevent eggs to reach
 water by providing adequate latrines combined with
health education; cook fish to 63ºCor freezing fish
tapeworm)
to -20ºC for at least 24 hours to a week can kill
infective larvae; Praziquantel, Niclosamide
Hymenolepis nana
Embryonated
(Dwarf tapeworm) Personal cleanliness, treatment of infected persons –
Fecal-oral route; egg (H. nana) or Embryonated
Hymenolepiasis include all contact family members, rodent control;
autoinfection cysticercoid in egg
Hymenolepis diminuta Praziquantel, Niclosamide
arthropods
(Rat tapeworm)