An endoparasite lives inside its host.
A parasite that resides inside a plant or animal is called an endoparasite . A parasite, meanwhile, is an organism whose subsistence is possible from the resources of a specimen of another species, on which it feeds without actually losing its life.
Endoparasites, in this way, live inside their host . It should be noted that the living being whose body is used by the parasite to stay is called the host.
Depending on how they install themselves in the host, endoparasites are classified differently. Intracellular endoparasites develop their life cycle or a part of it inside a cell , while extracellular endoparasites settle outside the cells.
Endoparasites in pets
Endoparasites often affect pets . In this case, these are protozoa and worms that usually live in the lungs, heart or intestine of pets, such as dogs or cats.
These endoparasites can cause anything from minor injuries to fatal illness . Furthermore, on certain occasions, they can be transmitted to people, generating disorders of different kinds.
If dogs or cats have vomiting or diarrhea, or are listless, they may be infected by endoparasites. Treatment may include antiparasitic medications applied topically or administered orally.
Endoparasites can affect pets.
The case of human beings
Human beings , on the other hand, can suffer from an infestation of endoparasites (note that in our case we are not talking about infection ). Some of the parasites of the genus Plasmodium , for example, cause malaria ( malaria ), a disease that kills thousands of children and adults each year.
Although the name in this case may be a little confusing, the type of organism that develops completely or partially inside a person is known as a human endoparasite . It should be noted that it can be both unicellular and multicellular.
Types of endoparasites
One of the classes of human endoparasites is the protozoan , a single-celled organism whose life cycle is complex and may require more than one host to achieve its full development . Generally, it is insects that are responsible for transmitting protozoa between different hosts.
In addition to Plasmodium , mentioned above, the following are some of the most common protozoa within human endoparasites:
* Entamoeba : they are generally located in the intestines, with the exception of gingivitis , which is located in the mouth;
* Giardia : they also lodge in the intestines, and cause the so-called giardiasis diarrhea;
* Trypanosoma brucei : through the tsetse fly, they cause the sleeping sickness whose scientific name is African trypanosomiasis ;
* Toxoplasma gondii : they cause the disease toxoplasmosis, which if it affects a fetus can lead to a highly serious case;
* Acanthamoeba : among the disorders that can cause, amoebic keratitis and encephalitis stand out;
* Leishmania : they are the endoparasites that are behind the terrible disease called leishmaniasis or leishmaniasis . In this case, the infestation depends on the action of a mosquito, either Lutzomyia or Phlebotomus , in the American continent or in Africa and Eurasia, respectively.
helminths
The other type of human endoparasites is called helminths , and is distinguished by its lack of a skeleton and its elongated body. It is divided into two groups: nematodes and trematodes .
Some common nematodes are:
* Dracunculus medinensis : can be found in subcutaneous tissues and muscles;
* Ascaris lumbricoides : the largest nematode that can live in our species.
Of the trematodes, we can highlight:
* Schistosoma : they cause the disease called schistosomiasis, the most common in tropical regions after malaria;
* Gnathostoma : they cause gnathostomiasis, a disease that we generally acquire by eating undercooked or raw fish.