Kingdom Protozoa are sometimes referred to as single-celled organisms. Its representatives have one cell of a constant shape, like in a ciliate, and moving, due to the cytoplasm, like an amoeba. The body of these creatures consists of a nucleus, cytoplasm, and organelles.

When living conditions deteriorate, these creatures form a cyst, the so-called state of rest, when the cell hides behind a dense shell, becomes rounded and is deprived of organelles of movement.

• through hands and mouth;
• through the skin;
• contact;
• transmission from mother to fetus;
• for insect and animal bites;

Amoeba- a simple single-celled organism that is considered one of the first creatures to live on Earth. The disease caused by amoeba is called amoebiasis. Intestinal infection, with a predominant ulcerative lesion of the large intestine with the appearance of bloody diarrhea, the possible formation of secondary intestinal lesions, with a tendency to be chronic.

The disease is characterized by attacks of fever, where there are chills, an increase in temperature up to 40°, lasting up to 6-12 hours.

The duration of the interval between bursts depends on the type of pathogen. In addition to all this, anemia develops, since plasmodium affects red blood cells.

Giardia- pear-shaped protozoa that have two nuclei and four pairs of flagella. The main source is pigs and people. Giardiasis is a common disease primarily affecting the liver and small intestine. The disease can occur in both mild and severe forms.

Routes of entry into the body:

• water - through dirty water;
• contact - household - when using objects, clothing, dishes;
• nutritional – through dirty vegetables, fruits, products that have not undergone heat treatment.

Disease prevention consists of observing the rules of personal and public hygiene.

Leishmania– representatives of this genus are the cause of leishmaniasis. The carriers are mosquitoes. The main target population is people, rodents, and mammals. For the full development of a pathogenic organism, the presence of two hosts is required. This is a mosquito and a representative of vertebrates.

Human diseases caused by Leishmania infestation:

• visceral leishmaniasis (Dum-Dum fever) – damage to internal organs occurs;
• skin leishmaniasis (Baghdad ulcer) - damage to the skin, most often the head, with subsequent scarring;
• Leishmaniasis of the skin and mucous membranes - manifests itself as severe destructive damage to the skin and mucous membranes
• Prevention consists of sanitizing mosquito breeding sites, exterminating rodents, controlling the number of dogs, and burying the corpses of dead animals.

Trichomonas– flagellated, unicellular, pear-shaped organisms that cause the disease trichomoniasis, are sexually transmitted and affect the genitourinary system. It is noticeable that men and women are affected, but in men the disease is usually asymptomatic.

A complication of trichomoniasis can be damage to the epididymis, which can lead to infertility in men. In women, the vaginal mucosa is affected, from where the pathogen can spread to the uterus and ovarian appendages.

Conclusion

And the most important thing is to always remember the rules of personal and public hygiene, and to know that we are surrounded by the invisible world of protozoa, viruses and microorganisms, ready at any moment to use the human body as a cozy home, a huge food resource and protection from enemies.

The simplest organisms, despite their primitive structure, are capable of causing very serious diseases. Some diseases are mild, while others are fatal.

Protozoan classes

Protozoa of medical importance include:

• Class Sarcodae: amoeba, naegleria.
• Class Flagellates: Giardia, Trichomonas.
• Sporozoan class: Plasmodium, Toxoplasma, Leishmania.
• Ciliate class: balantidium.

Patients who want to get rid of helminths often ask for natural remedies with the least side effects. In such cases, I recommend this remedy.

Entamoeba histolytica

Dysenteric amoeba

Human

Amebiasis, amoebic dysentery

Colon

Cyst carriage (asymptomatic) and acute disease. Rarely chronic.

Dissolve mucosal epithelium using proteolytic enzymes;

Participate in the formation of bleeding tissue ulcers.

Forms abscesses in the liver and lungs.

Sometimes the intestinal walls are perforated.

Naegleria fowleri

Naegleria fowlera

Humans are intermediate hosts Negleriosis: Primary amebic meningoencephalitis Brain Brain damage.

Often fatal.

Flagellates

Lamblia intestinalis

Giardia

Human

Giardiasis

Duodenum

Cyst carriage up to several years and disease. The disease is usually mild. Rarely – chronic course.

Trichomonas vaginalis

Trichomonas

Human

Urogenital trichomoniasis

vagina;

cervical canal;

bladder;

urethra;

distal urethra;

prostate.

Complicates pregnancy (premature birth, rupture of membranes). Sporozoans Leishania spp.

Leishmania

Man and animals:

dogs;

foxes;

jackals;

rodents.

Visceral leishmaniasis liver;

spleen;

Bone marrow;

intestines;

lungs;

adrenal glands;

kidneys;

The lymph nodes.

Organ destruction. Plasmodium vivax

Malarial plasmodium

Plasmodium falciparum

Malarial plasmodium

Plasmodium malariae

Malarial plasmodium

Plasmodium ovale

Malarial plasmodium

Mosquitoes of the genus Anopheles.

Humans are intermediate hosts

Three-day malaria

Tropical malaria

Quartan

Three-day or oval malaria

Liver cells, red blood cells. Blood plasma Pathogens destroy red blood cells Toxoplasma gondii

Toxoplasma

Cat family:

Domestic cats.

Lynx.

Puma.

Jaguar.

Bengal cat.

Ocelot.

Toxoplasmosis

Lower small intestine and lymph nodes

Toxoplasmosis:

In acute form.

In chronic form.

In a form without clinical manifestations (in-hardware).

Congenital form.

Ciliates Balantidium coli

Balantidium intestinalis

Domestic and wild pigs, rats. Balantidiasis Colon. Most often the cecum. Most often it does not cause harm to the body. Sometimes ulcers in the intestines.

Table 2. Caused pathologies

Type of protozoa	Symptoms	Routes of infection	Pathologies
Entamoeba histolytica Dysenteric amoeba	For mild flow: Alternating diarrhea with constipation. Flatulence. Cramping pain in the abdomen. For moderate severity: Symptoms increase over 7-10 days. General weakness; Decreased appetite. Copious bowel movements. Sometimes mucous and bloody stools. In case of chronic course: Loss of body weight up to cachexia.	Through water, food, household items.	Dysentery. Possible development of amoebic appendicitis, peritonitis; Liver abscesses; Lung abscesses; Brain abscesses are very rare. Amoebic hepatitis is very rare. Skin amebiasis on the perineum, buttocks, perianal area with the development of erosions and deep ulcers. Fatal outcome in the fulminant form of the course in children, pregnant, lactating, and weakened persons.
Naegleria fowleri Naegleria fowlera	The onset of the disease is always acute: weakness, headaches; loss of taste and smell; fever; nausea; vomit; impaired coordination of movements; convulsions; hallucinations; pulmonary edema; coma. Death is almost always due to difficulty in diagnosis.	Through swimming in warm waters, where temperatures can reach 35°C. Cysts spread through the air if such bodies of water dry up.	Negleriosis: primary amoebic meningoencephalitis. Brain destruction. Coma. Death.
Lamblia intestinalis Giardia	Often asymptomatic. Sometimes: nausea; decreased appetite; high salivation; discomfort in the abdomen. Rarely: copious green stools. It has a pungent odor and foams.	Dirty hands, unwashed vegetables, fruits, unboiled water.	Giardiasis. Intestinal dysfunction.
Trichomonas vaginalis Trichomonas	Mostly asymptomatic. Among women: inflammatory processes of the vagina and cervix For men: burning in the urethra; gray or whitish discharge; frequent urge to urinate; blood in sperm	Through sexual contact, a shared bed with a sick person, personal hygiene items.	Complicates pregnancy (premature birth, rupture of membranes)
Leishania spp. Leishmania	gradual development of weakness; the skin turns pale; appetite decreases; the temperature rises to 40 °C; undulating or irregular fever; polylymphadenopathy; the liver enlarges; the spleen enlarges; pneumonia may occur; weight loss up to cachexia; anemia; skin hemorrhages; signs of heart failure; swelling.	Through mosquitoes	cachexia; decreased muscle tone; fibrotic changes in the liver; impotence; heart failure; pneumonia.
Plasmodium vivax Malarial plasmodium	It proceeds most benignly. Feverish attacks in the morning or afternoon: Chill stage 1-3 hours. Headache, muscle pain, joint pain, sometimes pain in the liver, spleen; Heat stage 1-12 hours. Temperature 39-40°C. Tachycardia, shortness of breath, decreased blood pressure, delirium and hallucinations; Sweating stage. Critical drop in temperature with profuse sweating. Muscle weakness and hypotension.	Through the bites of mosquitoes of the genus Anopheles	Three-day malaria. Spontaneous recovery is possible. It could also be: enlarged spleen and liver; anemia with destruction of red blood cells; increasing pallor of the skin; sometimes jaundice.
Plasmodium falciparum Malarial plasmodium	Feverish attacks occur at any time of the day and can last more than 24 hours: Chill stage. Headache, muscle pain, joint pain, sometimes pain in the liver, spleen. Heat stage. Temperature 39-40°C. Tachycardia, shortness of breath, decreased blood pressure, delusions and hallucinations, bronchospasms, abdominal pain, diarrhea. Sweating stage. Critical drop in temperature with profuse sweating. Muscle weakness and low blood pressure.		Tropical malaria. Only with this form is death possible. Enlarged spleen and liver. Anemia with destruction of red blood cells. Increasing pallor of the skin. Sometimes jaundice.
Plasmodium malariae Malarial plasmodium	Feverish attacks in the morning or afternoon.		Quartan. Characterized by clear febrile attacks. Nephrotic syndrome may develop, which is difficult to treat.
Plasmodium ovale Malarial plasmodium	Feverish attacks occur in the evening. Symptoms are similar to those of tertian malaria.		Ovale malaria. The course of the disease is mild. Slight enlargement of the spleen and liver.
Toxoplasma gondii Toxoplasma	With the in-apparatus form there are no pronounced symptoms. In acute form (rare): enlarged lymph nodes; jaundice; enlarged spleen; liver enlargement; symptoms of encephalitis; symptoms of meningitis; rash in the form of exanthema. For chronic: mostly asymptomatic; low-grade fever for a long time; weakness; headache; poor appetite; memory loss; muscle pain; bone pain; irritability; inflammation of the retina; menstrual irregularities; impotence; organ failure of the adrenal glands and thyroid gland.	Food route: raw, half-raw meat; poorly washed or dirty greens, vegetables, fruits, water; possible through skin injuries, blood transfusions, organ transplants. When a woman is infected during pregnancy, it is transmitted to the fetus.	Toxoplasmosis. The acute form is rare and has a difficult course. Presence of hepatolienal syndrome. Calcifications in organs. Sclerosis and reduction of lymph nodes. Oligophrenia. Inflammatory processes in the retina and vascular system of the eye (chorioretinitis). Epileptic syndrome.
Balantidium coli Balantidium intestinalis	Prolonged diarrhea with blood and pus. Stomach ache. Peritonitis.	Through unwashed vegetables, fruits, hands, unboiled water.	Perversion of the intestinal wall. Abscesses of various organs. Peritonitis

To prevent and prevent most diseases caused by protozoa, it is necessary to follow simple rules regarding personal hygiene and food handling. It is important to be able to recognize the symptoms for timely treatment.

Protozoa

3. Class of beetles

3.1. Representatives

3.1.1. Leishmania

3.1.2. Giardia

3.1.3. Trichomoniasis

Sporozoan class

4.1. Malarial plasmodium

ACC class of ciliates

5.1. Balantidium

Sarcodaceae class

6.2. Dysenteric amoeba

Conclusion CONCLUSION

Bibliography

Protozoa

The body of a protozoan consists of only one cell. The body shape of protozoa is varied. It can be permanent, have radial, bilateral symmetry (flagellates, ciliates) or not have a permanent shape at all (amoeba). The body sizes of protozoa are usually small - from 2-4 microns to 1.5 mm, although some large specimens reach 5 mm in length, and fossil shell rhizomes had a diameter of 3 cm or more.

The body of protozoa consists of cytoplasm and nucleus. The cytoplasm is limited by the outer cytoplasmic membrane; it contains organelles - mitochondria, ribosomes, endoplasmic reticulum, and Golgi apparatus. Protozoa have one or more nuclei. The form of nuclear division is mitosis. There is also the sexual process. It involves the formation of a zygote. Organelles of movement of protozoa are flagella, cilia, pseudopods; or there are none at all. Most protozoa, like all other representatives of the animal kingdom, are heterotrophic. However, among them there are also autotrophic ones.

The peculiarity of protozoa to tolerate unfavorable environmental conditions is their ability incise , i.e. form cyst . When a cyst is formed, the organelles of movement disappear, the volume of the animal decreases, it acquires a rounded shape, and the cell is covered with a dense membrane. The animal goes into a state of rest and, when favorable conditions occur, returns to active life.

The reproduction of protozoa is very diverse, from simple division (asexual reproduction) to a rather complex sexual process - conjugation and copulation.

The habitat of protozoa is varied - the sea, fresh water, moist soil.

This is a form of interspecific relationship between two organisms in which the organism uses the other either as a habitat or as a source of food. Parasitic organisms infect all human organs and tissues. They live on the outer integument (fleas, lice), in body cavities - tissues (helminths), in the blood (malarial plasmodium).

There are four main classes of protozoa:

1 – flagella (Flagellata, or Mastigophora);

2 – sarcode (Sarcodina, or Rhizopoda);

3 – sporozoa (Sporozoa);

4 – ciliates (Infusoria, or Ciliata).

Externally and internally, these organisms have exactly the same structure as all other single-celled organisms. They have only one structural unit, but it is capable of performing all the vital functions necessary for normal life. Namely:

• grows and develops;
• reproduces;
• eats;
• breathes;
• has excitability and irritability;
• moves.

They reproduce quite quickly, asexually. The mother cell simply, upon reaching maturity, splits into several daughter cells. They lead independently immediately after education.

The various representatives of the organisms under consideration can be classified as follows.

Leishmania

Settling inside the host cells, which for Leishmania are insects and mammals, including humans, they cause gradual death of the structure. In a person, an open gaping ulcer forms on the skin, in the place where Leishmania lives, and constantly rots. This disease is called rubber or Baghdad ulcer. Treatment is very difficult and lengthy, with surgical intervention.

Single-celled organisms of this group are transmitted by mosquitoes, which is why foci of leishmaniasis are found in tropical and subtropical countries.

Cysts are located in the large intestine and are therefore excreted with solid waste products. They become infected through dirt and water. Therefore, personal hygiene rules are especially important in the prevention of giardiasis.

This class includes different types of amoeba:

• intestinal;
• dysenteric;
• oral

Unlike the form considered, intestinal amoeba is present in the body of almost every person and lives in harmony with it. It does not release toxic substances and does not penetrate the intestinal walls. Therefore, it does not cause any particular discomfort or harm to health.

Inhabitant of dental plaque and caries formations. Feeds on bacteria and can consume red blood cells. Its exact meaning for humans is not yet clear.

Balantidium coli

This organism is a representative of the class Ciliates. A fairly large oval single-celled organism that settles in. It is here that it takes hold and drills into the wall of the organ, causing the appearance of bleeding, festering wounds. Cysts of this protozoan easily enter the bloodstream. This is how dispersal occurs throughout the body.

Infection with protozoan cysts occurs through contact of mucous membranes with dirty hands or when drinking raw water. The disease caused by these creatures is called balantidiasis. Accompanied by vomiting with blood, diarrhea, weakness, severe colic in the abdominal cavity.

The disease that is caused directly by Trichomonas is called trichomoniasis. It is sexually transmitted and threatens infertility in both men and women.

Signs of the disease in children

• general weakness;
• fatigue;
• pallor;
• headache;
• decreased appetite;
• poor sleep;
• irritability;
• loose stools;
• vomiting and others.

It is necessary to begin with the fact that the simplest organisms appeared a very long time ago, they are considered the most ancient inhabitants of the planet. Over the course of their existence, they have become incredibly resistant to various challenges. They can survive even in the most dangerous environments.

Flagellates

Most often, human or animal tissues and organs are chosen as the “place of residence”. This species causes many diseases. For example, such as malaria, toxoplasmosis.

Ciliates

A special feature of this type is the presence of two nuclei. They have a constant body shape and shell. Reproduction usually occurs as a result of division. This species is no less dangerous for humans and animals than the previous two.

Sarcodaceae

Most often they choose the digestive system for their activities. Because of them, very serious poisoning can occur in humans. In some cases, deaths are common.

This disease is characterized by certain changes. Sometimes there is relief, then the relief is replaced by an exacerbation of symptoms. The main symptoms are headache, fever, nausea, vomiting, and convulsions.

For many years, chitin has been considered the best treatment. However, deaths from this disease also occur most often in places where medicine is developed at a low level.

Amoebiasis

Another no less dangerous disease, the consequences of which can also be sad. The causative agent is amoeba dysentery.

Symptoms begin to appear 7–10 days after infection. These include headache, general malaise, fever, and some people may have an upset stomach. Complications follow, which are expressed in liver problems. If the patient does not begin treatment on time and does not consult a specialist, the consequences will be irreversible.

Toxoplasmosis

The causative agent of the disease is toxoplasma gondii. Symptoms of this disease include eye damage, the nervous system suffers, as well as the cardiovascular system. Very often, at first the infection is unremarkable and passes away as if it were a common cold.

Infection during pregnancy is very dangerous. Even if the child survives, it will most likely be with complications and damage to the eyes or nervous system. Thus, even at the first symptoms, it is imperative to consult a doctor.

Balantidiasis

Caused by a microorganism such as balantidia. Symptoms of this disease include abdominal pain and indigestion. In some cases, high fever and intoxication of the body are also possible.

Leishmaniasis

The causative agent of this disease is believed to be Leishmania. With cutaneous and mucocutaneous manifestations, ulcers appear. With mucocutaneous manifestations, swelling can often occur. Since these diseases are associated with the respiratory tract, there may be deaths.

Leishmaniasis is mainly found in hot countries. This disease is quite common and occurs in 87 countries.

How are they transmitted?

There are 4 most common methods of infection:

As mentioned earlier, when the first symptoms of infection appear need to see a doctor. The specialist may prescribe certain tests and examinations. After passing them, the doctor will make an accurate diagnosis. After this, you need to urgently begin treatment. It is also not recommended to self-medicate, because a professional can help.

In order not to encounter the above problems, it is necessary to adhere to certain rules, as well as take preventive measures.

The most effective rules are those that children learn at school. First of all, we must not forget about thoroughly washing fruits and vegetables. You can also cook it or cut off the skin.

Next, you can’t eat raw fish or undercooked meat. It is necessary to completely prepare the dish, observe the temperature and time conditions in order to completely cook the product. Casual sexual contact should be avoided. It is also necessary to undergo regular medical examinations.