Abstract:

Animal parasites are living organisms that inhabits the inner organs or the outer surface of other animals (domestic and wild) including man. Many of them can be found on the skin, while others are shed within the feces, such as the intestinal parasites or eliminated within the sputum, such as parasites of the respiratory system. There are also parasites that can be transferred by hematophagous vectors. They differ much in size, from the smaller ones that measure a few micrometers, to the larger ones of several meters’ length (even up to twenty meters). Most parasites are in constant movement and the majority possess a characteristic way of movement that can be of great help during a visual identification. Parasitology is a common subject of study for futures graduates in health sciences, including mainly medicine, pharmacy, biology, and veterinary sciences. One of the objectives of this subject is to teach the morphology of the parasites as well as their movement, which is typical and differs between groups. Unfortunately, this movement it is just explained but rarely shown due to the absence of live parasites during the classes or the absence of free illustrative videos.

To avoid this deficiency, a group of teachers and PhD students at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in Madrid (University Complutense of Madrid, Spain), have selected several videos as an open resource for students and health professionals. The videos have been recorded by colleagues or participants of a Teaching Innovation Project (Project 56 Innova-Docencia UCM 2022) and the material will be available in a web page at University Complutense of Madrid (“VideoParaSite”, at www.ucm.es/videoparasite/). This video library will help to improve the quality of the teaching, the interest of the pupils and even most interesting as a support to diagnose parasitic diseases of man and animals.

Some of the benefits of the videos include:
1. To differentiate microscopic parasites that can be found in the same host and with a similar size, but different movements (Giardia vs. Trichomonas in diarrheic feces of dogs and cats);
2. To illustrate macroscopic parasites that can be shed by domestic animals, each one with a particular movement (cestode proglottids vs. adult nematodes);
3. To show some biological processes of the life of some parasites, such as reproduction;
4. To display some key process of the parasitic life, such as host seeking strategy of ticks; and
5. To show different phases of the life cycle of parasites, and their distinct way of moving.

The library contains more than thirty short videos of the most common parasites of man and animals, including protozoa such as Giardia or Leishmania, helminths such as Anisakis and ectoparasites, such as hard ticks, mosquitoes (Culicidae), fleas or lice. Also, some less frequent parasites are represented, such as Monogenea (fish helminth parasites). Besides, the team is planning to record some of the biological processes of the parasites, such as the egg laying of hard ticks or feeding of ectoparasites.

Potential users of the webpage can be health science students, clinicians, mainly veterinarians, but also public interested in parasitology. The video library has the advantage of being supervised by experts in the field and contains verified information.

Keywords:

Parasites, movement, video library, open resources, VideoParaSite, www.ucm.es/videoparasite/.