Macroparasite

Macroparasites are parasites that are large enough to be seen with the naked eye, in contrast to microparasites. They grow in the host but multiply by producing infective stages that are released from the host, allowing the parasite to spread to other hosts. These generally include ticks, mites, nematodes, flatworms, etc., and can be either external parasites (ectoparasitic) or internal parasites (endoparasitic). The most abundant macroparasite in humans is ascaris lumbricoides-a nematode. Up to 2000 of these nematodes can be found in a single human. Macroparasitic infection results in around 100,000 deaths a year, most of which are in South America, Southeast Asia, and Africa. Macroparasites are also parasitic of many plant species and can be a significant agricultural pest.