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Basics

• Summary
• Start Here
• Diagnosis and Tests
• Prevention and Risk Factors

Learn More

• Related Issues
• Specifics

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Research

• Clinical Trials
• Journal Articles

Resources

• Reference Desk
• Find an Expert

For You

• Children
• Women
• Patient Handouts

Summary

Parasites are living things that use other living things - like your body - for food and a place to live. You can get them from contaminated food or water, a bug bite, or sexual contact. Some parasitic diseases are easily treated and some are not.

Parasites range in size from tiny, one-celled organisms called protozoa to worms that can be seen with the naked eye. Some parasitic diseases occur in the United States. Contaminated water supplies can lead to Giardia infections. Cats can transmit toxoplasmosis, which is dangerous for pregnant women. Others, like malaria, are common in other parts of the world.

If you are traveling, it's important to drink only water you know is safe. Prevention is especially important. There are no vaccines for parasitic diseases. Some medicines are available to treat parasitic infections.

Start Here

• Alphabetical Index of Parasitic Diseases (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Germs: Understand and Protect against Bacteria, Viruses, and Infections (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• Parasites and Foodborne Illness (Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service)

Diagnosis and Tests

• Diagnosis of Parasitic Diseases (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Ova and Parasite Test (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
• String test for intestinal parasites (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Xylose Testing (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish

Prevention and Risk Factors

• Hand Hygiene Frequently Asked Questions (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Water Disinfection for Travelers (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• What Causes Parasitic Diseases (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Related Issues

• Planning for Parasitic Diseases when Travelling (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Post-Travel Parasitic Disease Including Evaluation of Eosinophilia (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Specifics

• About Balamuthia Infection (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• About Naegleria fowleri Infection (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
• About Swimmer's Itch (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Acanthamoeba Infections (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Blastocystis hominis (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• Cyclosporiasis (Cyclospora Infection) (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Schistosomiasis (Bilharzia) (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)
• Tapeworm Infection (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
• Types of Neglected Tropical Diseases (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Lice Infestations (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Parasitic Diseases (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Construction of a preliminary digital parasite specimen database for parasitology education...
• Article: Prevalence of foodborne parasitic infections in market-sold aquatic products and high-risk...
• Article: The Global Prevalence of and Factors Associated with Parasitic Coinfection in...
• Parasitic Diseases -- see more articles

Reference Desk

• Parasitic Glossary (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Find an Expert

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Also in Spanish
• National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Children

• Ascariasis (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• Children (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Collecting a Stool Sample for Testing (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• Stool Tests (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• Toxocariasis (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Women

• Women and Parasites (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Patient Handouts

• Amebiasis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Amebic liver abscess (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Ascariasis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Creeping eruption (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Stool ova and parasites exam (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Tapeworm infection - beef or pork (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish