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HostparasiteInteractions
InfectiousDiseases.Thesearecausedbyinfectiousagentswhicharebacteria,viruses,fungi,protozoaandhelminths.
Parasiteisalivingorganism(bacteria,viruses,fungi,protozoa,helminths)thatlivesinanotherorganism,andreceives
shelterandnourishment.However,inmedicalscienceparasitologytraditionallydealswithanimalparasitesprotozoaand
helminths.
Strictorobligateparasiteisanorganismthatcannotlivewithoutahost.Thatistheyhavenofreelivingexistence.
Examples:Treponemapallidum,viruses,malarialparasite.
Facultativeparasiteisanorganismthathasbothafreelivingandaparasiticexistence,e.g.Clostridiumspecies,
Pseudomonasspecies.
Pathogen.Pathogenisanorganismwhichcancausedisease.
Nonpathogen.Anorganismthatdoesnotcausedisease.Itmaybeamemberofnormalflora.
Opportunisticpathogenisanorganism(nonpathogen,commensalorsaprophyte)thatcancausediseaseonlyin
immunocompromisedindividualsthatishavingimpaired
resistance.Example:Cytomegalovirus,Pneumocystiscarinii,Atypicalmycobacteria,opportunistfungi.
Saprophyteisanorganismthatlivesondeadorganicmatter.
NORMALFLORA(Commensals)
Microorganismsthatispresentontheskinandmucousmembraneofnormal(healthy)persons.Oneparticular
microorganismofthenormalfloramaybeanonpathogen,oropportunisticpathogen.Normalfloraisoftwotypes:(1)
Residentflora.Thesearemicroorganismsregularlypresentintheregionatagivenage,e.g.Viridansstreptococciin
mouthandthroat,Escherichiacoliinintestine,(2)Transientflora.Themicroorganismispresentonlyforhourstoweeks,
e.g.Streptococcuspyogenesinthroat.Microorganismsoftransientfloraplaynorolewhenthenormalresidentflora
remainsintact.Butiftheresidentfloraisdisturbedthanthemicroorganismsoftransientfloramaycolonizeandproduce
disease.Seechapter62.
BeneficialFunctionsofNormalFlora.Examples:(1)Inmouthandlowerbjvelaninvadingpathogenmayfailtocompete
fornutrientsandreceptorsiteswithnormalflora,(2)Somebacteriaofthebowelproduceantimicrobialsubstances,(3)In
newborn,bacteriaactsasapowerfulstimulusforthedevelopmentofimmunesystem,(4)Bacteriaofthegutcanproduce
vitaminK.
HarmfulEffectsofNormalFlora.Clinicaldiseasesbyopportunistpathogenofnormalfloraariseunder:(1)whenthe
organismleavesthenormalsiteandlocalizestoanothersite,e.g.Escherichiacoliintheurinarytractfromgut,(2)
competitiveadvantageduetoantibiotictherapy,e.g.colitisbyClostridiumdifficile,(3)Inimmunocompromisedindividuals.

HOST
Hostistheharbouringorganismofaparasite.Theyfallintothreegroupsorclasses:
1.Definitivehost.Inthishosttheadultstageofanimalparasiteslivesandsexualreproductiontakesplace.Manisthe
definitivehostforallanimalparasitesexceptmalarialparasitesandhydatidtapeworm.
2.Intermediatehost.Inthishosttheasexualreproductiontakesplace,orthelarvalstagesofanimalparasitesdevelops.
Whendevelopmentoflarvalstagetakesplaceintwodifferenthoststheyarecalled'first'and'second'intermediatehosts.
Manistheintermediatehostformalarialparasitesandhydatidtapeworm.Manisbothdefinitiveandintermediatehostfor
TaeniasoliumandTrichinellaspiralis.
3.Paratenichost.Acarrierortransporthost.
Note:Theterminfestationisusedwhentheparasitelivesontheoutersurface.Theyarearthropodesmites,ticksand
insects.
INFECTION
Infectionisthemultiplicationofaninfectiousagentwithinthebody.Multiplicationofpathogenicbacteria(e.g.Salmonella
typhi)evenifthepersonisasymptomaticistakenasaninfection.Multiplicationofbacteriaofnormalfloraatitsnormal
siteisnotaninfection.However,iftheymultiplyandcausediseaseitisaninfection,e.g.Escherichiacoliwhencauses
diarrhoea.
Aninfectioninvolvesthefollowing:(1)Sourceorreservoirofinfectiousagent,(2)Transmissionoftheinfectiousagent
fromthesourcetothehost(3)SusceptiblehostPortalorrouteofentryoftheagentinthehost,itslocalization,
multiplicationandfinallyhostparasiteinteractionswhichresultineither(a)Destructionoftheagentor,(b)Infectious
disease.
Source(Reservoir):
1.HumanSource.
(a)Exogenoussource:Patientorcarrier,
(b)Endogenoussource:Theindividualhimself.
Carrier.Apersonwithasymptomaticinfectionwhichcanbetransmittedtoanothersusceptibleperson.Anindividualmay
beacarrier:(a)intheincubationperiod(Incubatorycarrier),e.g.inmeasles,(b)duringconvalescence(convalescent
carrier),e.g.typhoidfever,or(c)foraprolongedperiod,e.g.typhoidfever.
2.FoodsandDrinks
(a)Food:Anycontaminatedfood,(b)Watercontaminatedwithbacteriaoftyphoidfever,cholera,diarrhoeaand
dysentery,
(c)Milkcontaminatedwithsalmonella,M.bovis.
3.Animals:Zoonosesarediseaseswhicharetransmittedfrominfectedanimalstohumans.
(a)Cow:Bovinetuberculosis,brucellosisbyBrucellaabortus,Salmonellafoodpoisoning,anthrax,Taeniasaginata,(b)
Fowl.Salmonellafoodpoisoningbyeggsandmeat,(c)Dog.Rabies,hydatiddisease,Weil'sdisease,(d)Horse.Tetanus
andglanders,(e)Goat.Anthraxandbrucellosis(byB.melitensis),(f)Sheep.Anthraxandtetanus,(g)Cat.Catscratch
disease,(h)Rat.Plaque,Weil'sdisease,(i)Parrotandpigeons.Psittacosis.
4.Soil.Tetanus,gasgangrene.

ModesofTransmission
1.Waterborne,e.g.choleraandotherdiarrhoea)diseases,entericfeverfromcontaminatedwater.
2.Foodborne(contaminatedfood)e.g.entericfever,salmo
nellafoodpoisoning(e.g.eggsofduck,foul).Milkandmilk
productsentericfever,bovinetuberculosis.
3.Airbornee.g.Droplets.Duringcoughing,sneezingandtalking:Diphtheria,tuberculosis,measles,chickenpox,
mumps,influenza,
4.Dustborne.e.g.tuberculosis,
5.SoilTetanus,gasgangrene.
6.Contaminatedfomiteslikebeddings,clothings,utensils:Diphtheria,entericfever,foodpoisoning.
7.DirectcontactSTDlikegonorrhoea,syphilis,AIDS.
8.Transplacental:Rubella,toxoplasma,congenitalsyphilis.
9.Insectborne.(a)Actively,e.g.malaria,filaria,kalaazar,dengue,plague,yellowfever,(b)Passively,e.g.diarrhoea)
diseases,entericfever,salmonellafoodpoisoning.
PortalorRouteofEntry
(1)Alimentarysystembyingestion,(2)Respiratorysystembyinhalation,(3)Genitourinarysystem,(4)Skindueto
trauma,biteofinsects,(5)Placenta.
Selfinfectionandcrossinfection
Selfinfectionistheinfectionthatoccursfromthepatient'sownflora.Examples:(i)infectionofanwoundofapatientby
staphylococcicarriedbytheindividualinhisnose,(2)coliformsandanaerobesreleasedfromhisbowelduringsurgery.
Crossinfectionistheinfectionderivedfromotherpatientsorhealthycarriersbydirectspreadasdropletsduringtalking,
coughing,sneezing,byairborndust,food,fluidsetc.Crossinfectioniscommoninhospitals.

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