In medical terms, a parasite is defined as an eukaryotic (ie multi-celled) organism that steals resources from the host, often for a prolonged period of time. Typically the parasite is much smaller than the host and has evolved a high degree of specialization to be able to live on their hosts. In most cases the parasite reproduces in much greater numbers and far more quickly than the host.
In most cases parasites do not directly kill their hosts (where this is the case it's known as parasitoidism) but they can weaken the host to such an extent that the host can be killed more readily by predation or by secondary infections or other parasites.
Many parasites live and feed directly from the host and they move directly from host to host. Ectoparasites live on the surface of the host and these includes fleas, mites and scabs. In contrast, endoparasites live within the hosts.
In fact, there are two types of endoparasites: intercellular parasites inhabit spaces in the host's body and these types of parasites include tapeworms, hookworms, flukes etc. intracellular parasites live within the cells of the body and these include bacteria and viruses that, technically, are parasites though they are not often referred to as such in a medical context.
Many bacteria and viruses require help in moving from host to host and this carrier is known as a vector. The most well known vector-borne disease is malaria which is caused by a species of protozoan from the genus Plasmodium (the malarial parasite) and the vector is the anophelid mosquito the females of which feed on blood and transfer the malarial parasite by their bite.
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Ectoparasites
EndoparasitesProtozoan Organisms
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| Common Name | Latin Name | Body Part Affected | Link |
| Ancylostoniasia | Ancylostoma duodenale | intestines (duodenum) | |
| Roundworm (parasitic pneumonia) | Ascaris lumbricoides | intestines, liver, heart, lungs | |
| Roundworm | Baylisascaris spp | skin | |
| Filariasis, Elephantiasia | Brugia malayi, Brugia timori | lymph nodes | |
| Tapeworm infection | Cestoda spp | intestines | |
| Clonorchiasis | Clonorchis sinensis, Clonorchis viverrini | ||
| Dicrocoelium infection | Dicrocoelium dendriticum | gall bladder | |
| Diphyllobothriasis (tapeworm) | Diphyllobothrium latum | intestines | |
| Dracunculiasia (Guinea worm) | Dracunculus medinensis | subcutaneous tissues, muscle | |
| Echinococcosis (tapeworm) | Echinoccus spp | liver, lungs, kidneys, spleen | |
| Echinostomiasia | Echinostoma echinatum | small intestine | |
| Pinworm (Enterobiasis) | Enterobius vernicularis, Enterobius gregorii | intestines | |
| Liver Fluke (Fasciolosis) | Fasciola hepatica, Fasciola gigantica | intestines, liver | |
| Fasciolopsiasis (intestinal fluke) | Fasciolopsis buski | intestines | |
| Gnathostomiasis | Gnathostoma spinigerum, Gnathostoma hispidum | subcutaneous tinssues | |
| Hymenolepiasis | Hymenolepis nana, Hymenolepis diminuta | ||
| Loa Loa filariasia, Calabar swellings | Loa loa filaria | connective tissues | |
| Mansonelliasis, Filariasis | Mansonella streptocerca | subcutaneous layers of the skin | |
| Hookworm, Parasitic Pneumonia, Necatoriasis | Necator americanus | intestines | |
| Onchocerciasis | Onchocercidae spp | ||
| Opisthorchis diease | Opisthorchis viverrini, Opisthorchis felineus | bile duct | |
| Paragonimiasis | Paragonimus spp | lungs | |
| Schistosomiasis, Bilharzia, Snail Fever | Schistosoma mansoni (intestinal shistosomiasis) Schistosoma haematobium (urinary schistosomiasis) Schistosoma japonicum, Schistosoma mekongi (Asian intestinal schistosomiasis) | intestines, urinary tract (depending on species) | |
| Sparganosis | Spirometra erinaceieuropaei | ||
| Strongyloidiasis (Parasitic Pneumonia) | Strongyloides stercoralis | intestines | |
| Beef tapeworm | Taenia saginata | intestines | |
| Pork tapeworm | Taenia solium | intestines | |
| Toxocariasis | Toxocara canis, Toxocara cati | brain, heart, eyes | |
| Trichinosos | Trichinella sprialis | muscle | |
| Swimmer's itch | Trichobilharzia regenti, Schistosomatidae | ||
| Whipworm | Trichuris trichiura, Trichuris vulpis | large intestine | |
| Elephantiasia | Wulchereria bancrofti | lymph system |
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