Most blood
parasites can enter Kidneys.
Some
parasites found in kidneys:
Trichomonas vaginalis
Trichomonas vaginalis, a flagellate, is the most common pathogenic protozoan of humans in industrialized countries.
Trichomonas vaginalis resides in the female lower genital tract and the male urethra and prostate , where it replicates by binary fission . The
parasite does not appear to have a cyst form, and does not survive well in the external environment. Trichomonas vaginalis is transmitted among humans, its only known host, primarily by sexual intercourse .
Geographic Distribution:
Worldwide. Higher prevalence among persons with multiple sexual partners or other venereal diseases.
Schistosomiasis
Schistosomiasis, also known as bilharzia (bill-HAR-zi-a), is a disease caused by parasitic worms. Infection with Schistosoma mansoni, S. haematobium, and S. japonicum causes illness in humans. Although schistosomiasis is not found in the United States, 200 million people are infected worldwide.
Infection occurs when your skin comes in contact with contaminated fresh water in which certain types of snails that carry schistosomes are living.
Fresh water becomes contaminated by Schistosoma eggs when infected people urinate or defecate in the water. The eggs hatch, and if certain types of snails are present in the water, the
parasites grow and develop inside the snails. The
parasite leaves the snail and enters the water where it can survive for about 48 hours. Schistosoma parasites can penetrate the skin of persons who are wading, swimming, bathing, or washing in contaminated water. Within several weeks, worms grow inside the blood vessels of the body and produce eggs. Some of these eggs travel to the bladder or intestines and are passed into the urine or stool.
What are the symptoms of schistosomiasis?
Within days after becoming infected, you may develop a rash or itchy skin. Fever, chills, cough, and muscle aches can begin within 1-2 months of infection. Most people have no symptoms at this early phase of infection.
Eggs travel to the liver or pass into the intestine or bladder. Rarely, eggs are found in the brain or spinal cord and can cause seizures, paralysis, or spinal cord inflammation. For people who are repeatedly infected for many years, the
parasite can damage the liver, intestines, lungs, and bladder.
Symptoms of schistosomiasis are caused by the body's reaction to the eggs produced by worms, not by the worms themselves.
Rhinosporidium seeberi