Bi6370 Human parasitology

Faculty of Science
Spring 2025
Extent and Intensity
3/0/0. 3 credit(s) (fasci plus compl plus > 4). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
In-person direct teaching
Teacher(s)
Assoc. Prof. MVDr. Ivona Foitová, Ph.D. (lecturer)
prof. RNDr. Milan Gelnar, CSc. (lecturer)
Mgr. Eva Řehulková, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
prof. RNDr. Milan Gelnar, CSc.
Department of Botany and Zoology – Biology Section – Faculty of Science
Contact Person: prof. RNDr. Milan Gelnar, CSc.
Supplier department: Department of Botany and Zoology – Biology Section – Faculty of Science
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
At the end of this course, student should be able: •understand and explain basic parasitological terminology a nomeclature •explain importance of parasitic infections for human health and society •shortly introduce fundamental parasite-host interactions and their practical and theoretical importance •recognize the main characteristics of the most important human parasites including knowledge on their morphology and diagnostics, distribution and occurrence, biology, life and developmental cycles •recognize basic principles of parasite epidemiology, transfer and symptoms •explain importance of preventions and therapeutic treatment •introduce and explain the main aspects of parasite pathogenicity a recommended therapy •introduce basic methods and field and laboratory techniques used in current parasitology research
Learning outcomes
At the end of this course, student should be able to understand and be able to explain parasitic diseases of humans, its importance, distribution of parasites, host-parasite interactions, parasites and AIDS, general characteristic of main parasite groups, reproduction, life cycles, classification, epidemiology, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, Visceral, blood and tissue protozoans, trematoda, cestoda, larval stages, intestinal, blood and tissue nematodes, parasitic arthropods and its medical importance, antiparasitic drugs, geomedical aspects and laboratory techniques.
Syllabus
  • Introduction to human parasitology, definitions and terminology, basic principles and concepts, parasitism and symbiosis, history and milestones of parasitology, significance of human parasites. Parasite-host interactions: effect of parasites on hosts, biological adaptation on parasitism, distribution of parasites, ecology of parasitism, immunity to parasites, syndrome AIDS and parasitic diseases, evolution of parasitism. Epidemiology, microenvironment and the phases of parasitism, units of study, macroenvironment and effect of climatic factors on parasite life cycles and transmission, frequency distribution of parasite within host population. Protozoa: general characteristics of the protozoa, locomotion organelles, encystation, reproduction, life cycles and parasite development, classification of the protozoa. Visceral protozoa I: Amoeba and Ciliates: Entamoeba histolytica, E. hartmani, E. coli, E. gingivalis, Iodamoeba butschilii, Endolimax nana, pathogenic free-living amoebae: Naegleria fowleri, Acanthamoeba spp., Hartmanella spp.. Ciliates: Balantidium coli. Epidemiology, symptomatology and diagnosis, treatment and prevention. Visceral protozoa II: Flagellates: Giardia intestinalis, Chilomastix mesnili, Retortamonas intestinalis, Enteromonas hominis, Dientamoeba fragilis, Trichomonas tenax, T. vaginalis, Pentatrichomonas hominis. Epidemiology, symptomatology and diagnosis, treatment and prevention. Blood and tissue protozoa I: morphological forms, Leishmania major, L. tropica, L. aethiopica, L. donovani, L. braziliensis, L. mexicana, L. peruviana, Trypanosoma brucei, T. gambiense, T. cruzi. Epidemiology, symptomatology and diagnosis, treatment and prevention. Blood and tissue protozoa II: Apicomplexa: Plasmodium vivax, P. malariae, P. ovale, P. falciparum, Babesia spp., Toxoplasma gondii, Pneumocystis carinii. Epidemiology, symptomatology and diagnosis, treatment and prevention. Trematoda: general characteristics of trematoda, structure of adult, generalized life cycle patterns, germ cell cycle, physiology, classification of Trematoda. Visceral trematodes: Liver flukes: Fasciola hepatica, Clonorchis sinensis, Opistorchis felineus, O. viverini. Intestinal flukes: Fasciolopsis buski, Echinostoma revolutum, Heterophyes heterophyes, Metagonimus yokogawai. Lung flukes: Paragonimus westermani. Epidemiology, symptomatology and diagnosis, treatment and prevention. Blood trematodes, morphology, life cycle, immunity. Schistosoma haematobium, S. mansoni, S. japonicum, othert schistosomes, swimmers itch. Epidemiology, symptomatology and diagnosis, treatment and prevention. Cestoda: general characteristics of cestoda, morphology, life cycle patterns, physiology, classification of cestoda. Intestinal tapeworms: Diphyllobothrium latum, Taenia solium, Taeniarhynchus saginata, Hymenolepis nana, H. diminuta, Dipylidium caninum. Epidemiology, symptomatology and diagnosis, treatment and prevention. Extraintestinal larval tapeworms: human sparganosis, cysticercosis, hydatidosis. Epidemiology, symptomatology and diagnosis, treatment and prevention. Nematoda: general characteristics of the nematoda, structure of adult. Life cycle, classification Intestinal nematodes: Trichuris trichura, Trichinella spiralis, Strongyloides stercoralis, Ancylostoma duodenale, Necator americanus, Ascaris lumbricoides, Anisakis spp., Enterobius vermicularis. Epidemiology, symptomatology and diagnosis, treatment and prevention. Blood and tissue nematodes: Wuchereria bancrofti, Brugia malayi, Onchocerca volvulus, Loa loa, Mansonella spp., Dracunculus medinensis, Parastrongylus spp. Epidemiology, symptomatology and diagnosis, treatment and prevention. Arthropoda: significance of arthropoda as vectors, general structural features, life cycles, classification of arthropods, biting dipterans, nonbiting dipterans, other insects. Acarines: ticks and mites. Drugs for parasitic infections, generic and branch names, current chemotherapeutic regimens used against protozoan and helminth infection in man, chemical structure of key drugs, adverse effects of antiparasitic drugs, component and methods of control, sanitation. Geomedical aspects of human parasitology, factors determining distribution, distribution patterns, prognosis, parasites and vaccination, resistance, strategies in the fight against parasites. Laboratory techniques. Solution and procedures for examining fecal material, solutions, stains and procedures used in study of blood and tissue parasites, procedures used in recovery of helminth ova and larvae, entomologic technique, cultivation techniques in parasitology.
Literature
  • BOGITSH, Burton J., Clint E. CARTER and Thomas N. OELTMANN. Human parasitology. 3rd ed. Amsterdam: Elsevier, 2005, xxii, 459. ISBN 0120884682. info
  • HAVLÍK, J. Infekční nemoci. první. Praha: Galén, 1998, 220 pp. ISBN 80-85824-90-6. info
  • KNOZ, Jan and Věra OPRAVILOVÁ. Základy mikroskopické techniky. 1. vyd. Brno: Masarykova univerzita, 1992, 195 s. ISBN 8021004738. info
  • RYŠAVÝ, Bohumil. Základy parazitologie. 1. vyd. Praha: Státní pedagogické nakladatelství, 1989, 215 s. ISBN 8004208649. URL info
Teaching methods
Theoretical lectures, discussion with students, practical examples
Assessment methods
oral exam
Language of instruction
Czech
Further Comments
The course is taught annually.
The course is taught: every week.
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2008 - for the purpose of the accreditation, Spring 2011 - only for the accreditation, Spring 2003, Spring 2004, Spring 2005, Spring 2006, Spring 2007, Spring 2008, Spring 2009, Spring 2010, Spring 2011, Spring 2012, spring 2012 - acreditation, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, spring 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2023, Spring 2024.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2025, recent)
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