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Parasites Notes, Pt 2

Helminth Parasites

Helminths are large, multicellular organisms that are generally visible to the naked eye in their adult stages. Like Protozoa, Helminths cannot multiply in humans.

There are three main groups of Helminths (derived from the Greek word for worms).

~Flatworms; these include flukes and tapeworms

~Thorny-Headed worms; The adult of these worms reside in the gastrointestinal tract

~Roundworms; the adult forms of these worms can reside in the gastrointestinal tract, blood, lymphatic system, or subcutaneous tissue. Alternatively, the immature (larval) states can cause disease through their infection of various body tissue.

Some consider the helminths to also include segmented worms- the only ones medically recognized are leeches though. Of note, these organisms are not considered parasites.