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Table 2

Classification of Human Parasites

I. PROTOZOA

1. Amebae (Intestinal)

Entamoeba histolytica

Entamoeba dispar

Entamoeba moshkovskii

Entamoeba hartmanni

Entamoeba coli

Entamoeba polecki

Endolimax nana

Iodamoeba bütschlii

Blastocystis hominis

2. Flagellates (Intestinal)

Giardia lamblia

Chilomastix mesnili

Dientamoeba fragilis

Pentatrichomonas hominis

Enteromonas hominis

Retortamonas intestinalis

3. Ciliates (Intestinal)

Balantidium coli

4. Coccidia, Microsporidia (Intestinal)

Cryptosporidium parvum

Cryptosporidium hominis

Cryptosporidium spp.

Cyclospora cayetanensis

Cystoisospora belli

Sarcocystis hominis

Sarcocystis suihominis

Sarcocystis “lindemanni”

Microsporidia

Enterocytozoon bieneusi

Encephalitozoon intestinalis

5. Apicomplexa, Flagellates (Blood, Tissue)

Apicomplexa (Malaria and babesiosis)

Plasmodium vivax

Plasmodium ovale

Plasmodium malariae

Plasmodium falciparum

Plasmodium knowlesi

Babesia spp.

Flagellates (Leishmaniae, Trypanosomes)

Old World Leishmania species

Leishmania (Leishmania) tropica

Leishmania (Leishmania) major

Leishmania (Leishmania) aethiopica

Leishmania (Leishmania) donovani

Leishmania (Leishmania) archibaldi

Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum

New World Leishmania species

Leishmania (Leishmania) mexicana

Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis

Leishmania (Leishmania) pifanoi

Leishmania (Leishmania) garnhami

Leishmania (Leishmania) venezuelensis

Leishmania (Leishmania) chagasi

Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis

Leishmania (Viannia) colombiensis

Leishmania (Viannia) guyanensis

Leishmania (Viannia) lainsoni

Leishmania (Viannia) naiffi

Leishmania (Viannia) panamensis

Leishmania (Viannia) peruviana

Leishmania (Viannia) shawi

Old World Trypanosoma species

Trypanosoma brucei gambiense

Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense

New World Trypanosoma species

Trypanosoma cruzi

Trypanosoma rangeli

6. Amebae, Flagellates (Other Body Sites)

Amebae

Naegleria fowleri

Acanthamoeba spp.

Hartmanella spp.

Balamuthia mandrillaris

Sappinia diploidea

Entamoeba gingivalis

Flagellates

Trichomonas vaginalis

Trichomonas tenax

7. Apicomplexa, Microsporidia (Other Body Sites)

Apicomplexa

Toxoplasma gondii

Microsporidia

Nosema ocularum

Pleistophora spp.

Pleistophora ronneafiei

Trachipleistophora hominis

Trachipleistophora anthropophthera

Anncaliia vesicularum

Anncaliia (Brachiola) algerae

Anncaliia (Brachiola) connori

Encephalitozoon cuniculi

Encephalitozoon intestinalis

Encephalitozoon hellem

Enterocytozoon bieneusi

Vittaforma corneae (Nosema corneum)

Microsporidium

II. NEMATODES (Roundworms)

1. Intestinal

Ascaris lumbricoides

Enterobius vermicularis

Ancylostoma duodenale

Necator americanus

Strongyloides stercoralis

Strongyloides fuelleborni

Trichostrongylus colubriformis

Trichostrongylus orientalis

Trichostrongylus spp.

Trichuris trichiura

Capillaria philippinensis

2. Tissue

Trichinella spiralis

Trichinella spp. (T. britovi, T. murrelli, T. nativa, T. nelsoni, T. papuae, T. pseudospiralis, T. zimbabwensis)

Visceral larva migrans (Toxocara canis or Toxocara cati)

Ocular larva migrans (Toxocara canis or Toxocara cati)

Cutaneous larva migrans (Ancylostoma braziliense or Ancylostoma caninum)

Dracunculus medinensis

Angiostrongylus cantonensis

Angiostrongylus costaricensis

Gnathostoma spinigerum

Anisakis spp. (larvae from saltwater fish)

Phocanema spp. (larvae from saltwater fish)

Contracaecum spp. (larvae from saltwater fish)

Hysterothylacium

Porrocaecum spp.

Capillaria hepatica

Thelazia spp.

Ternidens diminutus

3. Blood and Tissues (Filarial Worms)

Wuchereria bancrofti

Brugia malayi

Brugia timori

Loa loa

Onchocerca volvulus

Mansonella ozzardi

Mansonella streptocerca

Mansonella perstans

Dirofilaria immitis (usually lung lesion; in dogs, heartworm)

Dirofilaria spp. (D. tenuis, may be found in subcutaneous nodules)

III. CESTODES (Tapeworms)

1. Intestinal

Diphyllobothrium latum

Diplogonoporus spp.

Dipylidium caninum

Hymenolepis nana

Hymenolepis diminuta

Taenia solium

Taenia saginata

2. Tissue (Larval Forms)

Taenia solium

Echinococcus granulosus

Echinococcus multilocularis

Echinococcus vogeli

Echinococcus oligarthrus

Multiceps multiceps

Spirometra mansonoides

Diphyllobothrium spp.

IV. TREMATODES (Flukes)

1. Intestinal

Fasciolopsis buski

Echinostoma ilocanum

Echinochasmus perfoliatus

Heterophyes heterophyes

Metagonimus yokogawai

Gastrodiscoides hominis

Phaneropsolus bonnei

Prosthodendrium molenkempi

Spelotrema brevicaeca

Plagiochis spp.

Neodiplostomum seoulense

2. Liver/Lung

Clonorchis (Opisthorchis) sinensis

Opisthorchis viverrini

Opisthorchis felineus

Dicrocoelium dendriticum

Fasciola hepatica

Fasciola gigantica

Paragonimus westermani

Paragonimus mexicanus

Paragonimus kellicotti

Paragonimus africanus

Paragonimus uterobilateralis

Paragonimus miyazakii

Paragonimus caliensis

3. Blood

Schistosoma mansoni

Schistosoma haematobium

Schistosoma japonicum

Schistosoma intercalatum

Schistosoma mekongi

Schistosoma malayi

Schistosoma mattheei

V. PENTASTOMIDS (TONGUE WORMS) See Arthropods below

Tissue (larval forms)

Armillifer spp.

Linguatula serrata

Sebekia spp.

Nasopharyngeal

Armillifer spp.

Linguatula serrata

VI. ACANTHOCEPHALANS (THORNY-HEADED WORMS)

Intestine

Macracanthorhynchus hirudinaceus

Moniliformis moniliformis

VII. ARTHROPODS

1. Arachnida

Scorpions

Spiders (black widow, brown recluse)

Ticks (Dermacentor, Ixodes, Argas, Ornithodoros)

Mites (Sarcoptes)

2. Crustacea

Copepods (Cyclops)

Crayfish, lobsters, crabs

3. Pentastomida (Classification under review)

Tongue worms

4. Diplopoda

Millipedes

5. Chilopoda

Centipedes

6. Insecta

Phthiraptera: lice (Pediculus, Phthirus)

Blatteria: cockroaches

Hemiptera: true bugs (Triatoma)

Coleoptera: beetles

Hymenoptera: bees, wasps, etc.

Lepidoptera: butterflies, caterpillars, moths, etc.

Diptera: flies, mosquitoes, gnats, midges (Phlebotomus, Aedes, Anopheles, Glossina, Simulium, etc.)

Siphonaptera: fleas (Pulex, Xenopsylla, etc.)

Entamoeba histolytica is being used to designate the true pathogenic species, while E. dispar is now being used to designate the nonpathogenic species. However, unless trophozoites containing ingested red blood cells (E. histolytica) are seen, the two organisms can not be differentiated on the basis of morphology seen in permanent stained smears of fecal specimens. Fecal immunoassays are available for detecting the Entamoeba histolytica/E. dispar group or for differentiating the two species. E. moshkovskii cannot be differentiated from E. histolytica (no ingested RBCs) or E. dispar.

Although some individuals have changed the species designation for the genus Giardia to G. intestinalis or G. duodenalis, there is no general agreement. Therefore, for this listing, the name Giardia lamblia will be retained.

This designation is not a true genus, but a “catch-all” for those organisms that have not been (or may never be) identified to the genus and/or species levels. However, it is now listed as one of the genera of microsporidia infecting humans.