Parasites may be present in food or in water and can be identified as causes of foodborne or waterborne illness in the United States. They range in size, from tiny single-celled organisms to worms visible to the naked eye. Their lifecycle may also vary. While some parasites use a permanent host, others go through a series of developmental phases using different animal or human hosts. The illnesses they can cause range from mild discomfort to debilitating illness and possibly death.
What are parasites?
Parasites are organisms that derive nourishment and protection from other living organisms known as hosts. They may be transmitted from animals to humans, from humans to humans, or from humans to animals. Several parasites have emerged as significant causes of foodborne and waterborne illness. These organisms live and reproduce within the tissues and organs of infected human and animal hosts, and are often excreted in feces.
How are they transmitted?
They may be transmitted from host to host through consumption of contaminated food and water, or by putting anything into your mouth that has touched the stool (feces) of an infected person or animal.
How do they vary?
Parasites are of different types and range in size from tiny, single-celled, microscopic organisms (protozoa) to larger, multi-cellular worms (helminths) that may be seen without a microscope. The size ranges from 1 to 2 µm (micrometers) to 2 meters long.
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