Among the simplest organisms there are many parasites of animals and humans.The parasitic protozoa that cause the most serious and common diseases are listed below.
Dysenteric amoeba
Dysenteric amoeba is similar to the ordinary one, but is smaller and has shorter and wider root stalks.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, feed on red blood cells, and becomes a parasite.Ulcers form in the intestines, depleting the human body.The disease amoebic dysentery, or amoebiasis, occurs.
Dysenteric amoeba can enter the bloodstream and reach the liver.Here, too, the parasite leads to the formation of purulent ulcers.
Forming cysts, amoebas leave the human body with undigested food debris.Light cysts spread easily.If you don't wash your hands and food, you can become infected.
Malarial plasmodium
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, feeds there, grows and multiplies.After this, many plasmodia again enter the bloodstream and begin to parasitize red blood cells, destroying them and releasing their waste products, which poison the host.A person develops a fever and suffers from anemia.
If a person with malaria is bitten again by a malaria mosquito, the plasmodia will now 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 malaria-carrying mosquitoes.
Trypanosomes
The genus Trypanosomes consists of parasitic protozoa that have flagella (close in relationship 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 for 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 occurs, disturbances in sleep and coordination, and changes in consciousness.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, lamblia attaches itself to the intestines and feeds on 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 different 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 in livestock and fish farming.
Coccidia settle in the form of spores containing parasite 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 food.Toxoplasma affects many organs, including the nervous system.