Pathogens, which include bacteria, fungi, protozoa, worms, viruses, and even infectious proteins known as prions, cause infectious diseases. All viruses must have a way of entering their hosts and avoiding immune system eradication. The majority of microorganisms are not harmful. Now, if we talk about parasites, they first evolved long before humans did, and early Egyptian writings mention parasites like roundworms and tapeworms. Scientists like Francesco Redi and Antonie van Leeuwenhoek began to study them in greater depth in the 17th century, resulting in the birth of parasitology .
Pathogen:
A pathogen is an organism that causes disease in its host, and virulence refers to how severe the symptoms are. Pathogens include viruses, bacteria, and unicellular and multicellular eukaryotes, and are taxonomically varied .
Pathogen types:
Pathogens come in a variety of forms, but we’ll focus on the four most common: viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites .
Viruses:
Viruses are made up of a little bit of genetic information (DNA or RNA) encased in a protein sheath. Once you’ve been infected, viruses infect host cells in your body. They subsequently replicate by exploiting the host cell’s components to produce more viruses.
These new viruses are expelled from the host cell once the replication cycle is complete. The diseased cells are frequently damaged or destroyed as a result of this .
Bacteria:
Bacteria are a type of microscopic organisms and they have only one cell. They may live in a variety of environments, including within and on your body, and they come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Infections aren’t caused by all bacteria. The disease that can be caused by bacteria is pathogenic bacteria. When your immune system is weakened by a virus, you may be more susceptible to bacterial infections. Microorganisms that are normally harmless can become hazardous as a result of a virus-caused disease.
Fungi:
There are millions of different fungus species in the world. Only about 300 Trusted Sources are known to cause illness. Fungi can be found in almost any habitat, including indoors, outdoors, and on people’s skin. They spread illness when they outgrow their bounds. A membrane and a thick cell wall protect the nucleus and other components of fungus cells. Because of their structure, they may be more difficult to kill .
Parasites:
A parasite is an organism that lives in or on another organism and benefits at the expense of that organism’s host. Parasites are organisms that are visible to the naked eye in their natural state. As a result, parasites are microorganisms. Protozoans and helminths are the most common parasites. They are peculiar to the host. As a result, they can only cause disease in specific organisms. More than 36,400 protozoan species have been recognized as diseases in other organisms. Human parasites, on the other hand, include roughly 70 protozoan species and 300 helminth species. Around 90 of them are known to cause sickness in people. As a result, not all parasites are disease-causing in humans. Plasmodium is an example of a protozoan, which is a parasite that lives in humans .
Disease caused by parasites:
- Giardiasis
- Trichomoniasis
- Malaria
- Toxoplasmosis
- Intestinal worms
- Pubic lice
Difference between Pathogen and Parasite:
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Pathogen |
Parasite |
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A pathogen is a disease-causing agent that infects its host. |
A parasite is a creature that lives in or on the host at the expense of the host. |
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Bacteria, fungi, viruses, prions, protists, and parasites are examples of pathogens. |
Protozoans and helminths are examples of parasites . |
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Eukaryotic creatures are pathogens. |
Except for parasites and fungus, most parasites are prokaryotic creatures. |
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Microorganisms and macroorganisms can both be pathogens. |
Macroscopic organisms are parasites. |
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In the host organism, all pathogens produce disease. |
In the host organism, not all parasites produce disease. |
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Pathogens cause diseases such as the common cold, influenza, aids, tetanus, and food poisoning. |
Parasitic diseases such as malaria and amoebic dysentery are examples. |
Similarities Between Parasite and Pathogen:
- In host organisms, both parasites and pathogens can cause disease.
- Parasites and pathogens are both host-specific.
- Both parasites and pathogens have a high rate of proliferation.
Conclusion:
The two sorts of organisms that can cause disease in host organisms are parasites and pathogens. Parasites rely on the host organism for survival. The majority of parasites are tiny creatures. Parasites are divided into three categories: worms, protists, and ectoparasites. They can sometimes make the host sick. All pathogens infect the host and produce sickness. Bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protists are the most frequent pathogens. The link between parasites and pathogens, as well as their pathophysiology, is the major distinction between the two types of organisms .