Question

The epidemiology of many parasitic diseases (or infections) of man are closely linked to unique behavioral and cultural practices of various societies. Explain how this occurs, and provide some examples of parasitic infections that may have spread as a result of these types of practices. Also discuss how parasitic diseases have shaped the cultural practices of some human societies. (long answer)

Answer 1

For example tropical African communities, people are much affected by parasitic diseases such as dracunculiasis, ascariasis, malaria, chagas disease, urinary schistosomiasis, leishmaniasis,uffering trachoma, trichiuriasis, taeniasis, sleeping sickness, AIDS, filariasis etc.

Lack of toilets, low income of non working parents, poor socioeconomic status,uncontrolled crowding, lower level of education, religion, nonuse of footwear, poor practices of defaecation, pig ownership, no access to clean water, lack of knowledge about the epidemiology of serious infections, etc. For example eating uncooked meat and drinking blood in some religious events leads to parasitic infections. Because of poverty , habits of eating spoilt food thrown by others is also one of the major reasons.

Common intestinal parasite s are Entamoeba histolytica and Giardia lamblia. These organisms spread by stools of infected persons. due to the lack of toilets and mixing of stools in waster bodies and through flies the spreading occurs.

Helminthes species spread through blood, contaminated food and water. in case of spreading through the blood following are some ways, medicinal bloodletting, group circumcision, genital tatooing, rituals establishing "blood brotherhood," Sharing of injections, , ritual scarification, and shaving of body hair; and contact with nonhuman primates.

one more important cause is pet animals. many parasites spread through cat, dog etc.