Veterinary Parasitology I

A branch of veterinary medicine focused on studying and treating animal diseases caused by parasitic organisms.

A living organism that survives by living in or on another organism (the host), benefiting at the host's expense.

The relationship between a parasite and its host.

Diseases caused by parasitic organisms.

Animal diseases that aren't caused by infectious agents. Examples include genetic defects, physiological issues, structural problems, and external factors like injuries or poisoning.

Diseases caused by self-replicating organisms that invade and live within another organism.

The natural environment where an organism lives and thrives.

An organism's ability to reproduce and spread within a host.

A relationship between two organisms where both partners benefit.

A relationship between two organisms where one partner benefits while the other is neither harmed nor helped.

Parasites that live inside the host's body. Examples: tapeworms, roundworms, protozoa.

Parasites that live outside the host's body. Examples: Fleas, ticks, mites.

Parasites that spend their entire life cycle within a single host.

Parasites that require two or more hosts to complete their life cycle.

A parasitic organism that has only one host in its life cycle. It may move between the host's internal organs.

A host where the parasite undergoes immature development, but doesn't reach adulthood or reproduce sexually.

A host that carries the parasite without any development or reproduction, but remains infectious to other hosts.

A host that harbors the parasite without showing symptoms, acting as a source of infection for others.

An insect, tick, or other creature that transmits a disease-causing organism from one host to another.

The stage of a parasite that is capable of infecting a new host.

The process where a parasite replicates asexually in an intermediate host.

The process where a parasite replicates sexually, leading to the formation of new individuals.

The harmful effect a parasite has on its host.

A close association between two different species, where one benefits and the other is harmed.

Relationship between two different organisms living together, whether beneficial, neutral, or harmful.

Symbiosis where one organism (phoront) is passively carried by another.

A symbiotic relationship where one or both organisms depend on each other for survival.

Parasites often leave their host through the host's excretions, such as feces, urine, and genital discharges. This is a passive method of leaving the host.

Certain parasites, like roundworms, flukes, and protozoa, leave the host's body through feces.

Parasites like Schistosoma haematobium and Stephanurus dentatus travel out of the host through urine.

Tritrichomonas foetus is an example of a parasite that leaves the host through genital discharges.

Some parasites, like malarial parasites, are ingested by arthropods (like mosquitoes) while they feed on the host.

Lice and fleas are examples of ectoparasites that leave their host actively by crawling or jumping onto another host.

Some parasites, like Toxocara canis and Toxoplasma gondii, can be transmitted from mother to fetus through the placenta.

Parasites like Toxocara vitulorum and Toxocara cati can be transmitted from mother to offspring through milk.

Some parasites use strategies to increase their chances of finding a host. For example, liver flukes encyst on high parts of plants where herbivores are more likely to eat them.

The motile gravid segments of tapeworms (like Taenia saginata) can move out of feces to contaminate grass, making them more likely to be consumed by herbivores.

Some parasites have sensory organs that help them locate hosts. They're attracted to warmth, carbon dioxide, fatty acids, and other chemicals from host bodies.

Pigs are often coprophagic, meaning they eat feces. This makes them more susceptible to parasites like Taenia solium that are found in feces.