Parasites

Taenia contains over 100 species. This family of tapeworms is found in many animals, but the most notable ones are the beef and pork tapeworm because those are the most...

Diphyllobothrium is a genus of tapeworm which can cause Diphyllobothriasis in humans through consumption of raw or undercooked fish. It is also known as the salmon tapeworm or broad fish...

Taenia contains over 100 species. This family of tapeworms is found in many animals, but the most notable ones are the beef and pork tapeworm because those are the most...

The genus Strongyloides contains 53 species and S. stercoralis is the particular species that causes most human infection. It is often referred to as Threadworm (in Britain it may be...

There are twenty two species under the genus Trichophyton. Within the total number of species, eleven are commonly associated with tinea (ringworm) of the scalp, the nails, and the skin...

Microsporum ringworm, a fungus that causes a skin infection called ringworm, can pass from animals to people. It is characterized by skin lesions and small scaly patches that do not...

The pinworm, also known as threadworm (in the United Kingdom) or seatworm, is a roundworm of the Enterobius genus. The pinworm has a worldwide distribution and is the most common...

Two species of hookworms commonly infect humans, they are Ancylostoma duodenale and Necator americanus. Hookworms are round worms that generally live in the small intestine of their host. They are...

Heartworm is a parasitic roundworm (Dirofilaria immitis) that lives in the heart and pulmonary arteries of an infected animal. It is generally associated with dogs, but it can also infect...

Giardia infects a number of vertebrates by colonizing and reproducing in the small intestine causing Giardiasis. The parasite is present in the feces of infected people and animals. When water,...

Filariasis is the name for a group of tropical diseases caused by various thread-like parasitic round worms and their larvae. They are transmitted to humans mainly by the black fly...

There are different species of the Entamoeba parasite. While humans can be hosts to at least six species of Entamoeba, only one species is thought to cause disease. Entamoeba parasites...

Endolimax is a genus of amoebozoa found in the intestines of various animals and humans. Originally thought to be non-pathogenic, studies suggest it can cause intermittent or chronic diarrhea. It...

Tapeworm, fish Diphyllobothrium is a genus of tapeworm which can cause Diphyllobothriasis in humans through consumption of raw or undercooked fish. It is also known as the salmon tapeworm or...

Cyclospora is a protozoa that causes disease in humans, and possibly other primates. In the United States, It has been linked to fecal-contaminated and imported raspberries. It was virtually unknown...

Cryptosporidium is a microscopic parasite that causes the diarrheal disease cryptosporidiosis. Both the parasite and the disease are commonly known as "Crypto." There are many species of Cryptosporidium that infect...

Blastocystis are parasites naturally found living in the gastrointestinal tracts of species as diverse as humans, farm animals, birds, rodents, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and even cockroaches. Infection caused by Blastocystic...

This parasite is most often found in the intestines and rarely causes infections, even in people with compromised immune systems. Less than 5 percent of people in the United States...

Balamuthia is a free-living amoeba found in soil and dust. It was first identified in 1986 in a specimen from the brain of a baboon that died in the San...

Babesia is a protozoan parasite of the blood that causes a hemolytic disease (infects red blood cells) known as Babesiosis. Over 100 species of Babesia have been identified, but only...

Ascaris is a parasitic roundworm known as the "giant intestinal roundworm". A. lumbricoides species is the largest intestinal roundworm and is the most common helminth infection of humans worldwide. This...

Acanthamoeba are found in soil, water (including treated water), air, and dust. Although most people have been exposed to this organism during their lifetime, the good news is that the...

 One expert says, "It isn't a matter of IF you have parasites, just a matter of what kinds and how many of them you have". The most common symptoms of...