Granuloma Formation during Parasitic Infections Once parasites start an infection, they can effectively resist the lethal effects of macrophages and produce chronic infection that can lead to inflammation. Parasites can induce granulomatous inflammation that serves to insulate the pathogens that resist destruction (58). These granulomas are regulated by T cells that recognize parasite-released antigens. In the tissues macrophages accumulate and secrete chemicals that induce fibrosis and stimulate the formation of granulomatous tissue and provoke fibrosis. During infection with Schistosoma spp, granuloma formation around the eggs is developed (59) (see chapter 4). Several eggs are transported to the liver where they become insulated behind a capsule containing several different types of inflammatory cells (59). In experiments performed in mice, granuloma formation predominantly consists of eosinophils and is the result of a T cell-dependent reaction (59). In visceral leishmaniasis parasites spread into the liver, spleen, lymph nodes and bone marrow frequently occurs. This parasite-dissemination produces enlargement of the liver and the spleen in a condition known as hepatosplenomegaly, fever, abdominal pain and weight loss are some symptoms associated to this condition. The disease is fatal if untreated, because of many complications such as secondary infections, anemia and malnutrition (60). In visceral leishmaniasis, fever, pallor, weakness, night sweats, anorexia, and weight loss are common and progress to a medical condition known as cachexia (wasting syndrome), a general wasting condition associated to overproduction of TNF- (also known as cachexin). Children with visceral leishmaniasis can develop diarrhea and growth retard... ... middle of paper ... ...unity plays an important role in the development of gut pathology during experimental and human giardiasis. Once again, the uncontrolled response of this T cell immunity could be detrimental to the host by inducing collateral tissue damage. CONCLUSION Parasitic diseases constitute a major health problem worldwide, affecting mostly poor countries. The World Health Organization has targeted several parasitic diseases as the most important worldwide. These diseases include malaria, chagas disease, leishmaniasis, filariasis and schistosomiasis. Tissue damage and death induced by parasitic infections is produced specially after chronic infections and several organs are affected depending on the type of infection. Better understanding of the molecular mechanisms of these diseases will be useful to identify targets to develop therapeutic prototypes and vaccines.
This final microbe is far less dangerous and easier to comprehend than the formerly mentioned ones. Histoplasma Capsulatum, often called histoplasmosis, is caused by a fungus called Histoplasma (1). This fungus thrives within earthy environments with lots of soil filled with bird and bat droppings (1). It is found mainly in the United States, specifically within the central and eastern states, such as around the Ohio and Mississippi river valleys (1). The fungus can also be found within central and South America, Africa, Asia, Australia, and small parts of Europe (1). While most people do not get sick, those who do become infected when breathing in the microscopic fungal spores in the air (1). Symptoms
The disease, botulism, which is caused by Clostridium botulinium, is an emerging infectious disease. Clostridium botulinium is a bacterium that produces a neurotoxin that causes botulism. The bacterium is spore-forming, and anaerobic, meaning it does not need oxygen to grow. There are three main types of illnesses that Clostridium botulinium typically cause: Food-borne botulism, infant botulism, and wound botulism. Unbeknownst to common knowledge, infant botulism is the most common form of the disease, consisting of seventy-five percent of the reported cases of the disease (Chan-Tack, & Bartlett, 2010).
Schistosomiasis is a parasite. This parasite is a worm that you get through contaminated water. Urine and feces usually contaminate the water. The worm goes in to your body and migrates to the bladder, rectum, liver, lungs, spleen, intestines and some veins. After the worm migrates to these places this is where it matures and lays its eggs. The disease has the ability to lay two thousand to three thousand eggs per day and can live for twenty years. There are five different kind of Schistosomiasis that effect humans, these different kinds are; S. mansoni, S. Heamatobium, S. japonicum, S. intercalatum and S. mekongi. There are also other kinds of Schistosomiasis that occasionally infect humans, there are; S. bovis, S. mathei, and some avian schistosomes.
Many people can remember a time when they were a little kid and tiny little red bumps began to form on different locations of their skin. The small bumps began to spread and began to itch. Remembering the pink color of the calamine lotion that was used to soothe the itching sensation, realizing that these bumps were chicken pox. It is common knowledge that once a person contracts chicken pox and the outbreak clears up, the person will not get an outbreak again. Yet there are unknown complications that may develop later in life from having the chicken pox. Herpes zoster, or commonly known as Shingles, is one of these complications. Not only is this a very painful condition, but can lead to other complications as well (Sampathkumar, P., et al, 2009).
Disease and parasitism play a pervasive role in all life. Many of these diseases start with microparasites, which are characterized by their ability to reproduce directly within an individual host. They are also characterized by their small size, short duration of infection, and the production of an immune response in infected and recovered individuals. Microparasites which damage hosts in the course of their association are recognized as pathogens. The level of the interaction and the extent of the resultant damage depends on both the virulence of the pathogen, as well as the host defenses. If the pathogen can overcome the host defenses, the host will be damaged and may not survive. If on the other hand the host defenses overcome the pathogen, the microparasite may fail to establish itself within the host and die.
The bodies first line of defense includes the presence of physical and chemical barriers. These limit entry of microorganisms into the body. “These include: intact skin and epithelial surfaces that act as mechanical barriers, presence of normal micro flora on the skin that compete with pathogens for nutrients and inhibit pathogen growth through lactic acid production, normal flora of throat, colon, and vagina occupy receptors that prevents colonization by pathogens.” (Ogston-Tuck, 2014, p. 55). This also includes secretions which contain antibodies.
“Immune Response: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia.” National Library of Medicine - National Institutes of Health. Web. 18 Dec. 2011. .
Hochadel, M. (2014). Mosby's Drug Reference for Health Care Professionals (fourth edition ed.). : Elsevier.
This parasite is spread through the bite of sandflies. There are three different types of infections and they each show varying degrees of severity. The cutaneous form produces mild skin ulcers, mucocutaneous produces ulcers in the mouth and nose, and the visceral form of the disease starts with skin ulcers and then fever, low red blood cell count, and an enlarged spleen and liver. The parasite is detected by a microscope and visceral can also be found by doing blood tests. 12 million people are in infected in 98 different countries and 2 million new cases are found every year. The disease also kills around 20 to 50 thousand people a year.
flea gets infected. The disease fills the stomach of the flea making it so the flea can't
Helminthes or parasites, often called “worms” are among the most prevalence of chronic human infections worldwide. Soil-transmitted infections are caused by different species of parasitic worms. There are over 340 species of helminthes; most are rare in humans but may infect animals that can serve as a reservoir for infection but there are four main nematodes species of human soil-transmitted helminthes infections. Ascaris lumbricoides (round worm), trichuris trichura (whipworm), Ancylostoma duodenale and Necator americanus (hookworm). These four helminthes are commonly associated with malnutrition, including anemia. Pregnant women are at risk of nutritional deficiencies caused by helminthes infections Soil-transmitted helminthes have been as causing impairment of growth and nutrition. The hookworm damage the intestinal mucosa leading to bleeding, loss of iron and anemia infections by trichuris trichura produce chronic reduction of food intake. During pregnancy, mild or several infections with hookworm can cause anemia to the mother and damage to the fetus, leading to low birth weight. Several large-scale studies have demonstrated that deworming and iron supplements reduced anemia among pregnant women and have led positive birth outcomes. At the global level it is estimated that intestinal parasite infections affect more than one-third of the world’s population with the highest rates in school-age children. These infections are most prevalent in tropical and sub-tropical regions of the developing world where adequate water...
However, it is only a certain kind of white blood cell that comes out in the non specific response, and it is called a phagocyte - meaning 'cells that eat'. In a process known as phagocytosis, phagocytes can envelope any kind of pathogen within the body and, whilst the pathogen is inside the phagocyte, it can destroy it.
Our body consists of 90% of bacteria. That means that for every cell that we have in our body, we have 9 bacterial cells living along with it. Granted that most of the bacteria live inside the intestinal tract, but without a proper immune system keeping the digestive system in check, we would not be properly digesting food or have healthy bodies.
The macrophages engulf and digest the foreign pathogens and leave behind parts of the pathogen called antigens that stimulates the immune system to attack them. The T-lymphocytes are a type of white blood cell that can recognize antigens that are not part of the human body (non-self) and attack the human cells that have been invaded by the pathogen associated with this non-self antigen. B-lymphocytes, another type of white blood cell, also recognize foreign antigens and produce antibodies that attack and neutralize the foreign antigens to fight the infection. When a new pathogen is first detected by the immune system, it can take up to several days for the immune system to properly coordinate all the different immune cells required to fight the infection (Understanding How Vaccines Work, 2013). However, once the infection has been eliminated, the immune system has the ability to remember all of the foreign antigens that have entered the body. The memory T-lymphocytes and memory B-lymphocytes will remember every antigen they have ever encountered throughout the human’s lifetime and are able to quickly respond and initiate the immune response if the same antigen is detected again. The immune system keeps a huge supply of “millions and possibly billions of different antibodies on hand to be prepared for any foreign invader by constantly creating millions of new B cells” (How Do Vaccines Work?, 2011). This process of antigen memory and antibody production is also called acquired immunity, and it the basis to understand how vaccines
Adaptive immune system happens much quicker to the presence of an “infection creating potent mechanisms for neutralizing or eliminating the microbes. There are two types of adaptive immune responses: humeral immunity, mediated by antibodies produced by B lymphocytes, and cell-mediated immunity, mediated by T lymphocytes.”