|
Antiparasitic
Antiparasitics are a class of medications which are indicated for the treatment of parasitic diseases, such as those caused by helminths, amoeba, ectoparasites, parasitic fungi, and protozoa, among others. Antiparasitics target the parasitic agents of the infections by destroying them or inhibiting their growth; they are usually effective against a limited number of parasites within a particular class. Antiparasitics are one of the antimicrobial drugs which include antibiotics that target bacteria, and antifungals that target fungi. They may be administered orally, intravenously or topically. Overuse or misuse of antiparasitics can lead to the development of antimicrobial resistance. Broad-spectrum antiparasitics, analogous to broad-spectrum antibiotics for bacteria, are antiparasitic drugs with efficacy in treating a wide range of parasitic infections caused by parasites from different classes. Types Broad-spectrum * Nitazoxanide Antiprotozoals * Melarsoprol (for ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nitazoxanide
Nitazoxanide, sold under the brand name Alinia among others, is a broad-spectrum antiparasitic and broad-spectrum antiviral medication that is used in medicine for the treatment of various helminthic, protozoal, and viral infections. It is indicated for the treatment of infection by '' Cryptosporidium parvum'' and '' Giardia lamblia'' in immunocompetent individuals and has been repurposed for the treatment of influenza. Nitazoxanide has also been shown to have ''in vitro'' antiparasitic activity and clinical treatment efficacy for infections caused by other protozoa and helminths; evidence suggested that it possesses efficacy in treating a number of viral infections as well. Chemically, nitazoxanide is the prototype member of the thiazolides, a class of drugs which are synthetic nitrothiazolyl- salicylamide derivatives with antiparasitic and antiviral activity. Tizoxanide, an active metabolite of nitazoxanide in humans, is also an antiparasitic drug of the thiazolid ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chagas Disease
Chagas disease, also known as American trypanosomiasis, is a tropical parasitic disease caused by ''Trypanosoma cruzi''. It is spread mostly by insects in the subfamily Triatominae, known as "kissing bugs". The symptoms change throughout the infection. In the early stage, symptoms are typically either not present or mild and may include fever, swollen lymph nodes, headaches, or swelling at the site of the bite. After four to eight weeks, untreated individuals enter the chronic phase of disease, which in most cases does not result in further symptoms. Up to 45% of people with chronic infections develop heart disease 10–30 years after the initial illness, which can lead to heart failure. Digestive complications, including an enlarged esophagus or an enlarged colon, may also occur in up to 21% of people, and up to 10% of people may experience nerve damage. is commonly spread to humans and other mammals by the kissing bug's bite wound and the bug's infected feces. The disea ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Antimicrobial Resistance
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR or AR) occurs when microbes evolve mechanisms that protect them from antimicrobials, which are drugs used to treat infections. This resistance affects all classes of microbes, including bacteria (antibiotic resistance), viruses (antiviral resistance), Parasitic disease, parasites (antiparasitic resistance), and fungi (antifungal resistance). Together, these adaptations fall under the AMR umbrella, posing significant challenges to healthcare worldwide. Misuse and improper management of antimicrobials are primary drivers of this resistance, though it can also occur naturally through genetic mutations and the spread of resistant genes. Antibiotic resistance, a significant AMR subset, enables bacteria to survive antibiotic treatment, complicating infection management and treatment options. Resistance arises through spontaneous mutation, horizontal gene transfer, and increased selective pressure from Antibiotic misuse, antibiotic overuse, both in medicin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Parasitic Disease
A parasitic disease, also known as parasitosis, is an infectious disease caused by parasites. Parasites are organisms which derive sustenance from its host while causing it harm. The study of parasites and parasitic diseases is known as parasitology. Medical parasitology is concerned with three major groups of parasites: parasitic protozoa, helminths, and parasitic arthropods. Parasitic diseases are thus considered those diseases that are caused by pathogens belonging taxonomically to either the animal kingdom, or the protozoan kingdom. Terminology Although organisms such as bacteria function as parasites, the usage of the term "parasitic disease" is usually more restricted. The three main types of organisms causing these conditions are protozoa (causing protozoan infection), helminths ( helminthiasis), and ectoparasites. Protozoa and helminths are usually endoparasites (usually living inside the body of the host), while ectoparasites usually live on the surface of the h ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Miltefosine
Miltefosine, sold under the trade name Impavido among others, is a medication mainly used to treat leishmaniasis and free-living amoeba infections such as '' Naegleria fowleri'' and '' Balamuthia mandrillaris''. This includes the three forms of leishmaniasis: cutaneous, visceral and mucosal. It may be used with liposomal amphotericin B or paromomycin. It is taken by mouth. Common side effects include vomiting, abdominal pain, fever, headaches, and decreased kidney function. More severe side effects may include Stevens–Johnson syndrome or low blood platelets. Use during pregnancy appears to cause harm to the baby and use during breastfeeding is not recommended. How it works is not entirely clear. Miltefosine was first made in the early 1980s and studied as a treatment for cancer. A few years later it was found to be useful for leishmaniasis and was approved for this use in 2002 in India. It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines. Medical uses L ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tinidazole
Tinidazole, sold under the brand name Tindamax among others, is a medication used against protozoan infections. It is widely known throughout Europe and the developing world as a treatment for a variety of anaerobic amoebic and bacterial infections. It was developed in 1972 and is a prominent member of the nitroimidazole antibiotic class. It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines. Medical uses Tinidazole may be a therapeutic alternative in the setting of metronidazole intolerance. Tinidazole is used to treat ''Helicobacter pylori'', Amoebic dysentery, ''Giardia'' and ''Trichomonas vaginalis''. Side effects Drinking alcohol while taking tinidazole causes an unpleasant disulfiram-like reaction, which includes nausea, vomiting, headache, increased blood pressure, flushing, and shortness of breath. Pharmacology Pharmacokinetics Elimination half-life is 13.2 ± 1.4 hours. Plasma half-life is 12 to 14 hours. History Tinidazole was approved for treatm ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Metronidazole
Metronidazole, sold under the brand name Flagyl and Metrogyl among others, is an antibiotic and antiprotozoal medication. It is used either alone or with other antibiotics to treat pelvic inflammatory disease, endocarditis, and bacterial vaginosis. It is effective for dracunculiasis, giardiasis, trichomoniasis, and amebiasis. It is an option for a first episode of mild-to-moderate Clostridioides difficile infection, ''Clostridioides difficile'' colitis if vancomycin or fidaxomicin is unavailable. Metronidazole is available oral administration, orally (by mouth), as a cream or gel, and by slow intravenous infusion (injection into a vein). Common side effects include nausea, Dysgeusia, a metallic taste, Anorexia (symptom), loss of appetite, and headaches. Occasionally seizures or allergies to the medication may occur. Some state that metronidazole should not be used in early pregnancy, while others state doses for trichomoniasis are safe. Metronidazole is generally considered com ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eflornithine
Eflornithine, sold under the brand name Vaniqa among others, is a medication used to treat African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness) and excessive hair growth on the face in women. Specifically it is used for the second stage of sleeping sickness caused by '' T. b. gambiense'' and may be used with nifurtimox. It is taken intravenously (injection into a vein) or topically. It is an ornithine decarboxylase inhibitor. Common side effects when applied as a cream include rash, redness, and burning. Side effects of the injectable form include bone marrow suppression, vomiting, and seizures. It is unclear if it is safe to use during pregnancy or breastfeeding. It is recommended typically for children over the age of 12. Eflornithine was developed in the 1970s and came into medical use in 1990. It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines. In the United States the injectable form can be obtained from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. I ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Melarsoprol
Melarsoprol is an arsenic-containing medication used for the treatment of sleeping sickness (African trypanosomiasis). It is specifically used for second-stage disease caused by '' Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense'' when the central nervous system is involved. For '' Trypanosoma brucei gambiense'', eflornithine or fexinidazole is usually preferred. It is effective in about 95% of people. It is given by injection and is known by patients as "fire in the veins" . Melarsoprol has a high number of side effects. Common side effects include brain dysfunction, numbness, rashes, and kidney and liver problems. About 1–5% of people die during treatment, although this is tolerated due to sleeping sickness itself having a practically 100% mortality rate when untreated. In those with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency, red blood cell breakdown may occur. It has not been studied in pregnancy. It works by blocking pyruvate kinase, an enzyme required for aerobic metabolism ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Leishmaniasis
Leishmaniasis is a wide array of clinical manifestations caused by protozoal parasites of the Trypanosomatida genus ''Leishmania''. It is generally spread through the bite of Phlebotominae, phlebotomine Sandfly, sandflies, ''Phlebotomus'' and ''Lutzomyia'', and occurs most frequently in the tropics and sub-tropics of Africa, Asia, the Americas, and southern Europe. The disease can present in three main ways: Cutaneous leishmaniasis, cutaneous, mucocutaneous leishmaniasis, mucocutaneous, or visceral leishmaniasis, visceral. The cutaneous form presents with skin ulcers, while the mucocutaneous form presents with ulcers of the skin, mouth, and nose. The visceral form starts with skin ulcers and later presents with fever, low red blood cell count, and enlarged spleen and liver. Infections in humans are caused by more than 20 species of ''Leishmania''. Risk factors include poverty, malnutrition, deforestation, and urbanization. All three types can be diagnosed by seeing the paras ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Giardia Lamblia
''Giardia duodenalis'', also known as ''Giardia intestinalis'' and ''Giardia lamblia'', is a flagellated Parasitism, parasitic protozoan microorganism of the genus ''Giardia'' that colonizes the small intestine, causing a diarrheal condition known as giardiasis. The parasite attaches to the intestinal epithelium by a ventral disc (''syn''. sucker (zoology), adhesive disc or sucker), and reproduction, reproduces via Fission (biology)#Binary_fission, binary fission. ''G. duodenalis'' is a non-invasive parasite, that does not spread to other parts of the gastrointestinal tract, but remains confined to the lumen (anatomy), lumen of the small intestine. The parasite exists in two forms; Trophozoite, trophozoites and Microbial cyst, cysts. The microorganism can undergo encystation, transforming into a dormant Microbial cyst, cyst that enables it to survive outside of its Host (biology), host. ''Giardia'' trophozoites are Anaerobic organism, anaerobic, and absorb their nutrients from th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Trichomonas
''Trichomonas'' is a genus of anaerobic excavate parasites of vertebrates. It was first discovered by Alfred François Donné in 1836 when he found these parasites in the vagina of a patient suffering from vaginitis, an inflammation of the vagina. Donné named the genus from its morphological characteristics. The prefix tricho- originates from the Ancient Greek word (thrix) meaning hair, describing ''Trichomonas''’s flagella. The suffix -monas ( – single unit), describes its similarity to unicellular organisms from the genus ''Monas''. Habitat and ecology ''Trichomonas'' is typically found in anaerobic environments. It is a known parasite of many different animals including humans, birds, dogs, and cats. In humans, it can be found in the urogenital tract and in the oral cavity. It is estimated that 276 million new cases of urogenital infections occur each year. Depending on the ''Trichomonas'' species, it can either be transmitted through direct sexual contact or through ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
