This book examines the two major parasite groups that are transmitted via water or foods: the single-celled protozoa, and the helminths: cestodes (tapeworms), nematodes (round worms), and trematodes (flukes). Each chapter covers the biology, mechanisms of pathogenesis, epidemiology, treatment, and inactivation of these parasites. This important new text offers a better understanding of the biology and control of parasitic infections necessary to reduce or eliminate future outbreaks in the U.S. and elsewhere.

From the microscopic observation of infection to the widespread application of molecular techniques in taxonomy and epidemiology, to the genome sequencing of two major species and advances in biochemistry, phylogeny, and water treatment, new information on this fascinating genus continues to mount as we discover and utilize the latest scientific te

Human schistosomes (blood flukes) are digenetic trematodes that spend the adult part of their life cycle in humans and a further part in aquatic snails. Despite advances in chemotherapy, schistosomiasis is still a significant infection in the populations of several countries in the tropics. This book replaces a previous volume Schistosomiasis: Epidemiology, Treatment and Control (Heinemann, 1982) by Jordan and Webbe. All chapters have been rewritten by internationally renowned workers. Ultrasound, expected to aid identification of early disease in the field and increase our understanding of its evolution, is discussed in a new chapter. Others, each with an extensive bibliography, review the parasites and their snail intermediate hosts, epidemiology, clinical manifestations and pathology, diagnosis, immunology, drugs and patient management and control. Limitations of the role of chemotherapy in morbidity control are discussed and the need for flexibility in control interventions in the varied epidemiological situations is stressed. An interdisciplinary approach may be necessary to reduce transmission by appropriate measures against the snail intermediate host, and to implement public health measures, including the provision of safe water (with many other medical and social benefits) and health education. This comprehensive volume is for public health workers involved in the prevention and control of the disease, for physicians, and for students and teachers of many disciplines. It also provides a reference book for health planners, social anthropologists, health educators, water and sanitary engineers and others engaged in improving health in the tropics. Physicians in temperate countries will also find it a useful reference book as schistosomiasis, often acute, is being diagnosed more frequently in those returning from holidays in endemic areas.

​This book is designed to present a comprehensive and state-of the-art approach to the diagnosis and surgical management of parasitic diseases involving different organ systems, with emphasis on the gastrointestinal tract. It is divided into five parts that address the various etiologies, current diagnostic dilemmas and methods, as well as the key principles involved in their surgical management. The introduction presents the overall epidemiology and classification of parasitic diseases, followed by chapters that focus on different types of the most frequently encountered parasitic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract found in different parts of the world, with special attention given to the existing surgical debates regarding the use of minimally invasive procedures. The next part places special emphasis on hydatid disease by describing the current extent of this disease, changes in its management, and the most frequent complications and tips on how to avoid them. The following part discusses the surgical management of parasitic diseases affecting different organ systems, including the heart, the lungs, the brain and the urinary system. The final part presents the surgical dilemmas encountered in special situations, such as pregnancy, and the pediatric patient. The Surgical Management of Parasitic Diseases is an important and authoritative resource to surgeons of all specialties dealing with parasitic diseases

Based on papers presented at the XI International Congress for Tropical Medicine and Malaria, this publication provides an authoritative evaluation of treatment and control of helminth parasite infections. A section on leprosy and a brief review of malaria vaccination are included. A comprehensive review of the history of schistosomiasis control programs presents information unavailable elsewhere. This book is of special interest to professionals concerned with health problems of less developed countries and in particular to public health officials, epidemiologists and clinicians dealing with patients in or returning from the tropics.

There has been a continual expansion in aquaculture, such that total production is fast approaching that of wild-caught fisheries. Yet the expansion is marred by continued problems of disease. New pathogens emerge, and others become associated with new conditions. Some of these pathogens become well established, and develop into major killers of aquatic species. Diagnosis and Control of Diseases of Fish and Shellfish focuses on the diagnosis and control of diseases of fish and shellfish, notably those affecting aquaculture. Divided into 12 chapters, the book discusses the range of bacterial, viral and parasitic pathogens, their trends, emerging problems, and the relative significance to aquaculture. Developments in diagnostics and disease management, including the widespread use of serological and molecular methods, are presented. Application/dose and mode of action of prebiotics, probiotics and medicinal plant products used to control disease are examined, as well as the management and hygiene precautions that can be taken to prevent/control the spread of disease. This book will be a valuable resource for researchers, students, diagnosticians, veterinarians, fish pathologists and microbiologists concerned with the management of diseases of fish and shellfish.

Issues a call for action to correct the gross neglect of the health consequences of water impoundment and irrigation projects. Arguments and proposed lines of action respond to the documented magnitude of human misery and incapacity that follow when water development projects make no provision for disease control. Concentrating on parasitic diseases as the most dramatic and reliable indicators of adverse effects on health, the book aims to persuade the financiers, planners, and managers of these projects to make health concerns a central part of the development dialogue. To this end the book draws upon a large body of evidence to demonstrate both the magnitude of project-related health risks and the feasibility of their prevention and control. Citing the traditionally passive role of the health sector as a contributing factor, the book also aims to encourage health authorities to enter the project cycle with a more insistent voice. Throughout the book, emphasis is placed on recent knowledge about parasitic diseases that underscores the feasibility of formulating policies where the goal of economic progress is compatible with the protection and promotion of health.