Intestinal parasites are protozoa and helminths that inhabit the gastrointestinal tract of a host and derive nutrients at the host's expense. The protozoan group includes organisms such as Entamoeba, Giardia, and coccidia, while the helminths comprise soil-transmitted nematodes (roundworms, hookworms, whipworms), ce…
Intestinal parasites are protozoa and helminths that inhabit the gastrointestinal tract of a host and derive nutrients at the host's expense. The protozoan group includes organisms such as Entamoeba, Giardia, and coccidia, while the helminths comprise soil-transmitted nematodes (roundworms, hookworms, whipworms), cestodes (tapeworms), and trematodes. Most are acquired through the faecal-oral route via contaminated food, water, soil, or hands, or through larval skin penetration, so their distribution closely tracks sanitation, water quality, and hygiene. Infection can be asymptomatic or produce diarrhoea, abdominal pain, and impaired nutrient absorption; chronic or heavy parasite loads contribute to malnutrition, iron-deficiency anaemia, and growth and cognitive deficits, with school-age children among the most affected. Diagnosis rests on stool microscopy for ova and parasites, supplemented by antigen and molecular tests, and management combines antiparasitic chemotherapy with sanitation and health education. Research in this area emphasises prevalence studies and epidemiological profiling across community, school, and hospital populations, identification of risk factors, the spectrum of protozoan versus helminthic infection, and the haematological and nutritional consequences of infection. Such evidence guides deworming programmes, water and sanitation interventions, and surveillance designed to reduce the burden of intestinal parasitic disease in endemic settings.
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