OVERVIEW: What every clinician needs to know Parasite name and classification Cryptosporidium spp. – intracellular protozoan parasite. Two species are responsible for most human infections: Cryptosporidium hominis, which primarily infects humans; and Cryptosporidium parvum, which infects humans and animals, such as cattle. Species distinction between C. hominis and C. parvum is quite recent, and for…
OVERVIEW: What every clinician needs to know Parasite name and classification Giardia lamblia – flagellated intestinal protozoan parasite (also known as Giardia duodenalis or Giardia intestinalis) What is the best treatment? 5-nitroimidazole compounds (e.g., metronidazole, tinidazole, ornidazole, secnidazole) are the preferred anti-infective agents for the treatment of Giardia. Of these, metronidazole has been in wide…
OVERVIEW: What every clinician needs to know Parasite name and classification Entamoeba histolytica – protozoan parasite E. histolytica is one of three morphologically identical species of Entamoeba commonly found in humans; the others are E. dispar and E. moshkovskii. Only E. histolytica causes invasive disease in humans; the others are non-pathogenic. Continue Reading What is…
