Answer to Case 555 - Parasites and the Number Five

Wow - we received so many excellent comments on how parasites and the number 5 go together! Here are many of them - in no particular order - for your viewing pleasure:Pentatrichomonas hominis is a nonpathogenic intestinal flagellate named for its 5 flagella (penta from the Greek pente, meaning five + trich, pertaining to hair [flagella]). By Neil Anderson and Bernardino Rocha.There are 5 lobes of the lung, and all can be infected by Paragonimusspecies. By Brian Duresko.The are 5Plasmodiumspecies that are responsible for the bulk of malaria in humans:P. falciparum, P. vivax, P. ovale, P. malariae, andP. knowlesi(the latter is a zoonotic parasite and important cause of malaria in regions of SE Asia). By Aimee Boerger, Nipunie Rajapakse, and LS.Pentastomes have a name meaning " five openings " . Although having a single mouth, there are 2 pairs of hollow fang-like hooks beside the mouth. These fangs can be retracted into slits giving the appearance of 5 mouths. By Old One.Quintan fever, also known as trench fever, is due to infection with the bacterium Bartonella quintana,and is transmitted by the body louse,Pediculus humanus humanus.The infection is characterized by fevers that recur every five days; hence the name of the bacterium and the resultant disease. By Kristin Nagaro.The gametocytes ofPlasmodium vivaxappear in the blood ~5 days after the liver stage, whereas it takes 10-12 days forP. falciparumto appear.Thus,P. vivaxinfection can be acquired by mosquitoe...
Source: Creepy Dreadful Wonderful Parasites - Category: Parasitology Source Type: blogs