Of the four types of malaria, the type caused by Plasmodium falciparum is the most severe and causes almost all of the fatalities. MALARIA - This disease which infects more than 300,000,000 people each year causing about 4,000,000 deaths is the number 1 infectious disease on earth. Apicomplexa - protozoa with complex mouth parts. This organism infects the large intestine and infection is transmitted by the oral-fecal route.Ĥ. Ciliophora - The CILIATES Balantidium coli is the only ciliate known to infect humans. Symptoms of trichomoniasis include tender vaginal walls, frothy, creamy greenish-yellow discharge, itchy and burning sensation.ģ. It appears that many women and men can be assymptomatic carriers of this organism. Trichomonas vaginalis is a frequent cause of vaginitis in women whose normal vaginal flora and/or normal vaginal pH have been disturbed. Other symptoms however are more dramatic - flatulence, abdominal distention, steatorrhea with foul-smelling bulky stools, anorexia, nausea and eventual weight loss. The failure to absorb the vitamin may eventually lead to anemia. The organism multiplies in the small intestine and causes MALABSORPTION SYNDROME with impaired absorption of vitamin B12 and fats. Fresh water streams in Hawaii have been vehicles of infection. About 7% of the US population are healthy carriers and a number of wild animals also serve as carriers. Zoomastiga - The FLAGELLATES Giardia lamblia is transmitted through food and water which have been contaminated by human or animal feces containing CYSTS. The clinical course is rapid and death usually follows 4-5 days after onset of symptoms of fever, headache, blocked nose, altered taste and smell, stiff neck and Kernig's sign.Ģ. The organisms apparently come in through the nose and penetrate through the cribiform plate into the base of the brain. Infections are rare but interesting since most cases seem to result from swimming or diving in warm fresh water lakes and ponds although sometimes swimming pools have been implicated also. Naegleria and Acanthamoeba are free living fresh water amebas which have been known to cause AMEBIC MENINGITIS. May break through and invade the liver where it may set up AMOEBIC LIVER ABCESS. There is acute pain and tenderness and fever. There is severe dysentery with numerous small stools containing blood, mucus, and necrotic intestinal epithelium.

Initial infection is in large intestine with attack on epithelium. Approximately 5% of US population are ASSYMPTOMATIC CARRIERS of this organism. Sarcodina - The AMOEBA AMOEBIC DYSENTERY - Caused by Entamoeba histolytica world wide if CYSTS get into food or water.

OVERVIEW OF PARASITOLOGY Reading assignment: Please look up all of these in your textbook.

Parasite city deaths