Among the simplest organisms there are many parasites of animals and humans.Listed below are the protozoan parasites that cause the most serious and common diseases.
Dysenteric amoeba
The dysenteric amoeba is similar to the ordinary one, but is smaller and has shorter and wider root stems.It enters the human digestive system through the mouth in the cyst stage.In the large intestine, the amoeba emerges from the cyst and feeds on bacteria without harming the person.Subsequently, this simple organism begins to penetrate the intestinal wall, feeds on red blood cells and becomes a parasite.Ulcers form in the intestines, impoverishing the human body.The disease amoebic dysentery, or amoebiasis, occurs.
The dysenteric amoeba can enter the bloodstream and reach the liver.Also in this case the parasite leads to the formation of purulent ulcers.
Forming cysts, amoebae leave the human body with undigested food debris.Light cysts spread easily.If you don't wash your hands and food, you can get infected.
Plasmodium malarial
Plasmodium is a parasitic protozoan.Some species of Plasmodium cause malaria in humans.The carrier of malarial plasmodium is the malaria mosquito.During an insect bite, Plasmodium enters the host's bloodstream.Together with the blood it reaches the liver, there it nourishes, grows and multiplies.Subsequently, many plasmodia enter the bloodstream again and begin to parasitize red blood cells, destroying them and releasing their waste products, which poison the host.A person develops fever and suffers from anemia.
If a sick person is bitten by a malarial mosquito again, the plasmodia will be transferred from the person to the mosquito.Plasmodium reproduces sexually in the body of a mosquito.
Malaria is common in Africa.This is a very dangerous disease.Malaria is fought, among other things, by destroying the mosquitoes that carry the disease.
Trypanosomes
The genus Trypanosomes consists of parasitic protozoans equipped with flagella (closely related to Euglena).Their main host is a vertebrate animal, and their carriers are usually insects.Different representatives of trypanosomes cause different diseases in animals and humans.They parasitize mainly in the blood and cerebrospinal fluid.The most famous and common disease caused by trypanosomes is sleeping sickness.
The vector of sleeping sickness is the tsetse fly.This disease is typical of tropical Africa.Sleeping sickness develops in two stages: in the first weeks a person is tormented by fever and pain, after a month or more drowsiness, sleep and coordination disorders, and changes in consciousness occur.The disease is easier to treat in the first stage.
Giardia
Giardia is a genus of flagellated parasitic protozoa.Intestinal lamblia causes giardiasis in humans and animals, in which the parasite lives in the small intestine.
A person becomes infected with giardiasis by eating unwashed food containing Giardia cysts.Having emerged from the cyst, the lamblia attaches to the intestine and feeds on the digested food.
Leishmania
Leishmania is another genus of parasitic protozoa.They cause leishmaniasis in humans and many other animals.The carriers are mosquitoes.
There are several types of leishmaniasis associated with damage to various tissues of the body.One of them is the skin disease, Pendensky ulcer.
Coccidia
Coccidia parasitize many animals, including worms, arthropods, and fish.They cause coccidiosis diseases, which cause serious damage to farming and fish farming.
Coccidia are deposited in the form of spores containing parasitic cells.
Coccidia include the genus Toxoplasma.Their representatives cause such a widespread disease in humans as toxoplasmosis.A person becomes infected from pets or poorly prepared meat foods.Toxoplasma affects many organs, including the nervous system.