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0:00
Hi. I'm Hany Elsheikha,
professor of parasitology at
the University of Nottingham.
In this presentation,
I will be providing
an overview of
parasitic diseases
and their impact
on human health.
0:15
To understand
parasitic diseases,
we need to understand
the fundamental concept
in parasitology
which is parasitism.
It's a relationship
between two organisms:
one called the parasite,
benefits at the expense
of the other, the host.
This relationship
should not be seen as
good versus bad, or
beauty versus beast.
Both the parasite
and the host are
driven by their own
survival means.
The goal of the
parasite is clear:
secure food and shelter.
But in the process,
it harms or even kills the host.
Meanwhile, the host
tries to avoid
infection by launching a
strong immune response
to get rid of the parasite.
This creates such a dynamic
and ongoing interaction.
Sometimes the parasite succeeds
in establishing an infection and
other times the host
manages to fight
it off and eradicate
the parasite.
1:13
Parasitic infections
are widespread,
affecting millions
of people globally.
They can lead to severe illness
and in some cases even death.
1:24
There are so many parasites,
which are classified into
several groups based on their
morphological features,
life cycles, and the way they
interact with their hosts.
1:36
For simplicity, we often break
them down into large
groups like helminths,
worms, which include roundworms,
flukes, and tapeworms.
Another large group
is called arthropods,
which includes
insects like fleas,
lice, and arachnids such
as ticks and mites.
In addition, there is another
large group of protozoa.
Within each of these groups
there are hundreds of
species each with its
own unique behavior
and direct impact on health.
The treatment and the control of
these parasites can vary widely.
This complexity might
seem overwhelming.
But, fortunately,
clinicians don't
need to be experts
in parasitology.
They often deal with a
focused set of parasites
that are relevant to
the clinical cases they
encounter in practice.
Let's have a look at
some common examples
from each major parasite group.
Let's talk about protozoa.
