Abstract
Parasitic diseases are the major public health issues around the world. Humans are infected by nearly 300 species of parasitic helminths and more than 70 species of protozoa, derived from nonhuman primates and also from animals. Zoonoses, an infection in humans, caused by parasites of animals, are widely prevalent in tropical and subtropical countries. It has been estimated that more than 60 of known infectious diseases in human and nearly 75% emerging infectious diseases in human are transmitted from animals. The transmissions of zoonotic parasites from vertebrates to people are associated with economic loss globally. The human behavior plays an important role in the epidemiology of emerging or re-emerging parasitic diseases. Changes in demography and environmental alteration, climate change, technology, land use, etc. favor the emergence and spread of parasitic diseases. This chapter outlines the generic concepts of the three cornerstones of epidemiology, namely, the agent, the host, and the environment. The global burden of infection and the general principles of surveillance, prevention, and control have also been included.
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Further Readings
Parija SC. Textbook of medical parasitology. 4th ed. New Delhi: AIIPD; 2013.
Parija SC, Chidambaram M, Mandal J. Epidemiology and clinical features of soil-transmitted helminths. Trop Parasitol. 2017;7(2):81.
Pisarski K. The global burden of zoonotic parasitic diseases. Top 5 contenders for priority consideration. Trop Med Infect Dis. 2019;4:44.
Rebekah J, Razgour O. Emerging zoonotic diseases originating in mammals: a systematic review of effects of anthropogenic land-use change. Mamm Rev. 2020;50:336–52.
WHO Technical Report Series, No. 971 (2012). Research Priorities for Zoonoses and Marginalized Infections.
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Case Study
Case Study
A 37-year-old man attended emergency with complaints of multiple convulsions. CT scan of the brain showed numerous small cystic lesions in both hemispheres. No abnormality was observed in CSF cytology and biochemistry. The patient tested negative for HIV. The patient was a strict vegetarian and gave a history of eating vegetable salad frequently.
Questions
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What are the parasitic diseases transmitted by consumption of raw vegetables?
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What precautions should be taken at individual level to prevent this type of infection?
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What are the preventive measures needed to stop the transmission of such infections?
Research Questions
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What are reasons for the lack of knowledge regarding the source of infection and control measures for uncommon parasites like Mammomonogamus?
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Is this the right time to relook at the reservoir hosts like dogs for guinea worm disease given the sporadic cases which are being reported from areas where the disease has been eradicated?
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Is the Indian form of visceral leishmaniasis really an anthroponosis? Is there any reservoir host for L. donovani?
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Nag, V.L., Kalita, J.M. (2022). Epidemiology of Parasitic Infections. In: Parija, S.C., Chaudhury, A. (eds) Textbook of Parasitic Zoonoses. Microbial Zoonoses. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-7204-0_6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-7204-0_6
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