Parasites and Diseases 1

1. The predominant parasites and infectious diseases of each continent.

According to the Parasitology Center Inc. (PCI) in Scottsdale, AZ, the number one parasite/disease in North America is what are known as protozoa, or single-celled organisms that cause disease in humans. Examples of the diseases that these protozoa are known to inflict on people are malaria, giardiasis, dysentery, and trichomoniasis. Next are called blastocystis hominis, or other single cell organisms found in molds and algae. These organisms are in the digestive tract and cause diarrhea, abdominal pain, and GI problems. Then comes cryptosporidium parvum which is a mammalian digestive tract parasite. C. parvum is considered to be the most important waterborne parasite in developed countries, and, in immuno-compromised people, it causes dehydration and sometimes death. There is also the problem of helminth organisms, or worms.  Everybody knows about roundworms and tapeworms, but there are also hookworms, pinworms, liver flukes, and whipworm. All are somewhat prevalent worldwide, and combined are a very real problem.

In South America, there are many prevalent parasites and diseases because of the numerous tropical regions of the continent. Malaria is one of the foremost and important health problems in South America and has had confirmed cases in every country. There is also the issue of Yellow Fever, which is endemic in certain regions at certain times. The CDC requires travelers going to most of the South American countries to get a vaccination first. Cholera is a very serious disease in a good portion of South America. The reason for this is that the water and food are not cleaned or disinfected before buying it and water is not thoroughly boiled before drinking. The water problem is not an issue in big cities but outside of the cities, the water should not be expected to be clean. The last one that I will discuss is Leishmania, which is second only to malaria in deaths caused. It is spread through sandflies and unleashes a terrible attack on the body that can affect the liver and spleen, and possibly cause anemia and death.

Asia, and namely southeast Asia, is home to some of the world's most unique and affective diseases/parasites. Leishmaniasis is a very important disease in the region as well, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Another important problem, especially in southeast Asia, is Malaria. Due to certain catastrophes, wars, and drugs, the southeast Asia region does not have reliable and clean drinking water, which contributes to the malaria problem. According to WHO’s southeast Asian office, “regionally measles is the commonest cause of childhood death due to a vaccine-preventable disease and remains a major cause of both morbidity and mortality.” It says that the reason it is still a problem is the underutilization of the vaccine for measles. A new threat to Asia, is the Dengue virus. The Dengue virus is looks a lot like measles, but can turn into a hemorrhagic shock, in some cases, causing circulatory failure.

Europe is a very developed and mostly modernized region, not unlike North America, which means it has problems more associated with developed nations. All 53 countries in the region are polio free and there are only 5 countries left that are affected by malaria according to WHO/Europe. However on a bad note, measles is one of the leading causes of childhood death. Europe has been distributing the vaccine in hopes to rid Europe of measles. A communicable disease that is prevalent in the area is the rotavirus. It is responsible for 25% of all diarrheal illnesses and more than 10,000 children under 5 die in the European region each year.

Africa is a continent of very unique cultures and very contrasting people due to environmental barriers. Diseases and parasites of Africa are very tropical and different. The first one I will talk about is African Trypanosomiasis, or African sleeping sickness. The parasite is carried around by the Tsetse fly and is transmitted through a bite. In diagnosis, sleeping sickness has the same symptoms as meningitis. As with other regions, malaria, yellow fever, and cholera are very common diseases. Typhoid fever is also a somewhat common occurrence in the southern countries. It originates in contaminated food or water that is ingested and is common in the rural areas of southern Africa. Last, Dengue fever is considered a common disease. It is an endemic disease in certain parts of the continent during certain seasons of the year.

In Australia, the most prevalent disease is malaria, as with numerous other continents. Lice and scabies are an issue as well in Australia. Helminths are a source of disease, including tapeworm, roundworm, pinworm, and whipworm. Trichomaniasis is a very important issue in the region as well.