Parasites in Human

Parasites, small microscopic animals that need a host to survive, are transmitted through the fecal oral route.

They are generally defined as organisms that obtain nourishment from other living organisms without providing any benefits in return.

They live in the intestine of humans and other animal host.

They are excreted in the feces and enter a new host through feces-contaminated drinking water, contaminated water on produce, manure used as fertilizer, carcasses that become contaminated during the slaughter process and poor personal hygiene of food handlers.

Unlike bacteria, which often take large numbers to cause infection, a single parasite can cause illness. Since parasites are relatively stable in the environment, difficult to kill, and little affected by food processing and storage techniques that discourage bacteria, they are challenging to eliminate from food.

The prevalence of disease caused by parasitic animal in humans is relatively low for modern countries as a result of hygienic standards.

Acquisition of parasites from contaminated food or drink is minimized by water treatment system and quality control in the production and inspection of meat from animals.

Generally, food borne parasitic infections are not nearly as great a problem in well-developed countries as they are in developing countries.

However, in global scale they are still considered to be extremely serious.
Parasites in Human