Acknowledgments The authors would like to acknowledge the work of our dear departed colleague Herbert B. Tanowitz on the previous edition chapter. Abstract Chagas disease is caused by infection with the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. It is endemic in many…
Abstract Trichinellosis (trichinosis) is a parasitic infection caused by a roundworm of the Trichinella species. There are eight known species, and all are capable of causing human disease. The most common infections are caused by Trichinella spiralis , which can…
Abstract Within the genus Echinococcus , there are four species recognized: Echinococcus granulosus , Echinococcus multilocularis , Echinococcus vogeli , and Echinococcus oligarthrus . The larval cestodes of all four species can develop in the human host and can cause…
Abstract The filarial parasites covered in this chapter constitute a group of tissue-dwelling filarial nematodes that persist in the human host for years, causing damage to the lymphatic system that leads to elephantiasis and genital hydroceles (in the case of…
Abstract Schistosomiasis (bilharzia) is a disease caused by infection with parasitic flatworms known as blood flukes , belonging to the genus Schistosoma . According to the World Health Organization (WHO), schistosomiasis transmission has been reported from 78 countries, and it…
Abstract Food-borne trematodes (FBTs) are a group of liver, lung, and intestinal flukes that typically infect humans through the ingestion of freshwater fish, crustaceans, and plants contaminated by encysted forms of the parasites. FBTs are prevalent throughout the world, with…
Abstract Cysticercosis is infection caused by the larval stage of the cestode Taenia solium , the pork tapeworm. The clinically significant helminthic invasion to central nervous system (CNS) structures and the resulting spectrum of neurologic illness define neurocysticercosis (NCC). With…
Abstract The relationship between humans and intestinal cestodes (tapeworms) goes well beyond the essential biologic interaction between host and parasite. Over time, tapeworms and tapeworm stories have contributed to human culture, literature, and dietary practices. In the late nineteenth century,…
Abstract Infections with soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) affect the health of around 1.5 billion people around the world. Individuals of all ages may be infected with the common roundworm (Ascaris lumbricoides) , whipworm (Trichuris trichiura) , hookworm ( Ancylostoma duodenale and…
Abstract Giardia and Cryptosporidium are the two most common protozoan pathogens in the human intestine; in low-income countries, they also rank as leading causes of diarrhea in children under 5. Giardia duodenalis (previously G. lamblia or G. intestinalis ), was…