The cestodes, or better known as tapeworms are a class of parasitic flatworms, classified under phylum platyhelminthes. There are three major species of tapeworms: taenia saginata (beef tapeworm), taenia solium (pork tapeworm) and diphyllobothriasis (fish tapeworm). All these species of tapeworms are acquired by humans in consumption of raw, undercooked or smoke contaminated meat or fish (John, 2006). Tapeworms are considered humanity’s largest intestinal inhabitant. They each have a scolex or head, that attaches to the intestinal wall. As long as the head remains attached to the intestinal mucosa, a new worm can grow from it. Tapeworms do not contain a digestive tract, so their nourishment comes from absorbing partially digested substances from the host. They are whitish in color, flat and ribbon like, with a covering that resembles a transparent skin like layer (Turkington,2007). It’s prevalent among underdeveloped countries where sanitation is poor and among people who regularly consume raw, unwashed or undercooked beef, pork or fish containing the cyst eggs of various tapeworms (John, 2006). But in the United States, laws governing feeding practices and inspection of domestic food animals have largely eliminated the problem of tapeworm, but an estimated 1,000 new cases are diagnosed in the United States each year (askville, 2013). There are two specific parasites that I will be discussing. One being the adult tapeworm that inhabits the small intestine and cysticercosis which is the most common parasitic disease of the central nervous system, also called neurocysticercosis.
Taeniasis in humans is a parasitic infection caused by the tapeworm species. People with taeniasis may not know they have a tapeworm infection because the...
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...ugh both forms of infection can potentially occur in the same individual at the same time, they are distinct disease entities and have different treatments and potential outcomes. World health organization estimates that almost 50 million people worldwide are infected by tapeworms and of these 50,000 die due to the disease every year (ncbi, 2004). The control and prevention of cysticercosis depends on preventing fecal oral transmission of eggs from person infected with taeniasis. Identification and treatment of tapeworm carriers an important public health measure that can prevent further cases. Treatments includes drug therapy as well as surgical removal of the cysts. For preventative measures, it is important to never eat raw or undercooked pork. And, when traveling to areas with poor sanitation, people need to be careful to avoid foods that might be contaminated.
ImageText BoxImageOne of the biggest threats to the environment of Ontario is the Gypsy Moth (Lymantria dispar dispar). The species itself is native to Europe and Asia. How this affects us is by weakening trees across Ontario and North America. The first time the gypsy moth was found in Ontario was 1969. The gypsy moth can be found in southern Canada (Ontario), New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and British Columbia. It is known to weaken trees and the caterpillar form live in trees and during most outbreaks its caterpillar feces would fall from the trees to the ground or even on top of humans. The average Gypsy Caterpillar can grow 5-6 centimeters long. With five pairs of blue spots and six pairs of bright red dots on their back. The female moth are white and can fly on the other hand, the male moth are brown and can also fly. The female have a 5cm wing span but male have a 2.5cm wing span. The gypsy moth usually lives in open forests and other forests and take up at least 20% of the space. The Gypsy moth are about 4cm long, tan coloured and can be located on tree trunks, furniture, and buildings. (OFAH Invading Species Awareness Program, 2012)
Treponema pallidum is a Gram-negative bacterium that has a spiral shape (1). They are about 6 to 20um in length and 18-20um in diameter (1). Treponema pallidum can only survive within a host which makes them obligate internal parasites, meaning that outside a host this organism will die due to the absence of nutrients, exposure to oxygen and heat. Also since this organism can’t be grown on a culture medium, animal models are used to study T. pallidum (1). Treponema pallidum bacteria consist of an inner and outer membrane with a thin peptidoglycan cell wall lacking liposaccharides (1). They have a distinctive corkscrew motility with the aid of 6 endoflagellas (2). The specific classifications of Treponema pallidum are the following: Scientific name- Treponema pallidum, Common name- Syphilis. Treponema causes syphilis, yaws, and spinta. Borrelia causes Lyme disease and relapsing fever and Leptospira causing leptospirosis (5). What makes this microorganism special to the human population is that it causes infection to its host by entering the body through microscopic skin or mucous abrasions via direct personal contact with the lesions (sexual or kissing), blood transfusions, accidental bacterial inoculation, and transplacental passage (2). According to the CDC website there are 55,400 people diagnosed with Syphilis every year and 322 reported cases of congenital Syphilis in 2012 (6).
Oftentimes, people can recall at least one song they know that is undoubtedly catchy because of its repetitive nature. That song can become a nuisance, when it will not leave your mind. When a melody gets stuck in your head, sometimes it could take a whole day to forget the tune. A certain tune can be stuck in your brain for many years! In Oliver Sacks’ passage, “Brainworms, Sticky Music, and Catchy Tunes”, he talks about “earworms”, or a pathological repetition. Sacks uses patterns of development to inform the modern reader about the dark side of music.
two hundred million people suffer world wide from Schistosomiasis. It is often misdiagnosed as Typhoid Fever. It is also found in mammals such as cattle and water buffalo.
Flatworms belong to the phylum Platyhelminthes. They have the simplest body plan of all bilaterally symmetrical animals. They are called flatworms because their bodies are compressed. The mouth is the only opening into the digestive cavity the flatworms have. Food is taken in through this hole and wastes are discharged also through this hole. Flatworms have a well-defined nervous, muscular, excretory, and reproductive system. The flatworm distributes the food it digests through a digestive tube that branches throughout all of its body parts. The fact that the worm’s body is flat serves many purposes. It allows the worm to hid in small spaces, to fit into the opening of other animals if the worm is parasitic, and it means that all the cells are close enough to the surface for exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide with the environment (Meinkoth 399).
This disease may be on the brink of being eradicated entirely but that doesn’t stop it from being one of the grossest things that anyone has ever seen. The parasite enters the body via unsafe drinking water. When people drink water infected with water fleas that have have been hosting the larvae of the parasite. There are no symptoms, to begin with, but about one year later, blisters on the feet or legs begin to develop and then the adult fully developed worm crawls out of the host body over a period of a few weeks. It’s said that the pain is intense and can incapacitate a person for weeks at a time. The pain can also continue for months after the infection. The parasite needs to infect a person at least once a year in order to continue. There were an estimated 3.5 million cases in 1986 but the disease has been greatly reduced over time and only 22 cases were reported in 2015. This disease will probably be the first parasitic disease to be completely eradicated in humans.
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on their website Animal and Veterinary it states the following. (Show a slide of how the heartworms are transferred)
Tourists enjoy visiting the mountains of Rwanda to admire the gorillas and encourage their safety; however, humans help put mountain gorillas at risk. In 1999, a team of researchers with the Journal of Parasitology noted roundworm parasites in the feces of mountain gorillas (Ferber, 2000). These parasites normally affect only humans through contaminated water. Early, in 1988, blood and tissue samples of several mountain gorillas indicated measles infection (Ferber, 2000).
This paper includes an understanding about the parasitic roundworm called trichinella. It gives detail of the disease, its transmission and source. Emphasizing how it effects the body, further explaining the epidemiology and how the parasite poses a threat. Also providing an overview of the various types of transmission, how it obscures the human body, and informs one about the symptoms that occurs with the ingestion of trichinella. This paper also addresses the various diagnostic procedures and the treatment required in order to treat Trichinellosis. This, emerging the complex world of the most common type of trichinella species called Trichinella spiralis. In addition, it raises awareness of the health risks and possible outcomes that can come along when the parasites begins migrating throughout the body.
course of development. I kept them on my desk, in my dorm room, where the light from the window would hit it during the day. I also had an artificial light on the hornworms throughout the night to get more light exposure. The temperature in my dorm room is kept at 72 degrees, assuming it may have fluctuated a degree or two higher/lower depending when the air conditioner kicked in. The food source for the hornworms was mainly a mixture of wheat germ and agar, along with an occasional paper towel of water. As the hornworm grew bigger, I placed a piece of lettuce in the container as well.
Ringworm is a parasite of the skin that is caused by a fungus not a worm.You can get ringworm in a number of different places such as your scalp,back,arms,face and legs.Ringworm is also seen on your feet although when it is seen on the feet and in between the toes it is known as athlete's foot If it spreads to your groin it is known as jock itch.The scientific name for ringworm is dermatophytosis.Ringworm is also called tinea corporis.Ringworm is a highly contagious skin disease it can be passed through physical contact or through the use of other peoples combs clothing and other personal items.Ringworm gets its name from the rash that it forms.It forms in a red circular rash that has clearer skin in the middle of the rash.
Hermit crabs have been reported to be capable of habituation through previous research. If hermit crabs are capable of habituation, the retraction reflex should habituate to a tactile stimulus if the stimulus is not harmful to the animal. Furthermore, if the animal does habituate, the number of presentations of the stimulus required to elicit a response should increase (Hypothesis 1), the time to re-emerge from its shell after retraction should decrease (Hypothesis 2), and the magnitude in which it retracts should decrease (Hypothesis 3) as learning trials progress. Ten terrestrial hermit crabs (Coenobita clypeatus) each received strokes to its abdomen and the number of touches required for retraction, the magnitude of the retraction, and the time it took to re-emerge from its shell after retraction was recorded. The crabs that met the 40 consecutive touch criterion for habituation were Crabs 2, 11, and 14. Out of these three crabs, Crab 11 did not show any significant behavioral changes, while Crab 2 and 14 displayed a significant increase in number of touches, supporting Hypothesis 1. For Hypothesis 2, Crab 14 had a significant decrease in latency,
Wear gloves and proper cloths if handling the infected animals to prevent the direct contact.
In order for you to understand how Echinococcus works. You have to understand how it is transmitted into your system and begins infecting you. Echinococcus goes through several different steps on how it is developed and then transmitted to other hosts. The adult echinococcus tapeworm is about 5 mm long and lives in the small intestines of dogs and another canine species such as coyotes, wolves and foxes. The stage where a cyst begins usually occurs in intermediate hosts; typically sheep’s but they can also affect cattle’s, horses, camels, pigs and goats and many others. Tapeworm eggs are passed by the feces of infected dogs and then are digested by grazing sheep’s. These eggs then hatch into the embryos within the intestines, and then penetrate the intestines to be carried by the blood to major organs such as the liver and lungs. This larval stage of the parasite is called an oncosphere. The larval stage spreads by the bloodstream to target organs and other parts of the body, such as liver, lungs, ...
I am going to talk about cysticercosis. The scientific name for cysticercosis is Taenia solium. It is caused by the metacestode, or larval, stage of Taenia solium, the pork tapeworm. The symptoms of cysticercosis is headaches, confusion, seizures, and vision changes. Cysticercosis is based on the patient’s symptoms.