Question

• Understand the possible outcomes of helminth infections

• Be able to compare different infections caused by different helminths

• Know the differences between accidental, definitive and incidental hosts in helminth infections.

In one page or less, describe the differences between the two cases highlighted above and explain why the outcomes were so different. (Think of the location of infection.)

Answer 1

1. Possible outcomes of helminths infection include poor cognitive development, poor socioeconomic development, poor work performance, poor birth outcome, and poverty. Secondary outcomes of helminths infection include anemia, malnutrition, and chronic illness.

2. A variety of helminths cause different infections. Some of the helminths that cause infection in the gastrointestinal tract (GI) and their differences are listed below:

Pathogen	Disease	Signs	Transmission
Tapeworm (Taenia solium)	Taeniasis	GI distress, cyst in eye, brain, and muscle that causes headache, seizures	Ingestion of undercooked pork or beef from infected animals
Trichinella spiralis	Trichinosis	Constipation, cough, diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever	Ingestion of undercooked pork or beef from infected animals
Trichuris trichiura	Trichuriasis	Anemia, abdominal pain, diarrhea	Ingestion of eggs in fecally contaminated food

3. A parasite reaches its maturity phase in definitive hosts and often reproduce in them. It allows the parasite to attain sexual maturity

Accidental host or incidental host prevents the parasite from developing as they don't allow the transmission of the parasite to a definitive host.

For example, Definitive host for Toxocora canis is dogs and cats while, accidental host is humans.