What does parasitosis mean?
Parasitosis is the medical term for a disease or pathological condition caused by parasites. A parasite is an organism that lives on or inside a host and obtains nourishment at the host’s expense. Parasitosis can result from intestinal worms, protozoan parasites, and other parasitic organisms, producing symptoms that vary according to the species involved and the part of the body affected. The word is especially associated with clinical, veterinary, and public-health discussion, so “parasitic infection” is often the clearer choice in general writing. Its importance lies in identifying illnesses that may require antiparasitic treatment, preventive measures, or investigation of exposure through food, water, soil, or contact with infected hosts.
nounA disease or pathological condition caused by organisms that live on or in a host and obtain nourishment from it. The term is used especially for diseases caused by parasitic worms and protozoan organisms.
- A disease or pathological condition caused by parasites.
"The laboratory results confirmed a parasitic infection requiring specialist treatment."
"She was treated for intestinal parasitosis after stool tests detected a parasitic worm."
"The medical textbook describes several forms of parasitosis affecting the digestive system."
The plural is formed by changing -osis to -oses.
"The study compared several common forms of parasitoses in schoolchildren."
Parasitosis turns a relationship that benefits one organism—the parasite—at the host’s expense into a medical condition.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does parasitosis come from?
The word was formed in the 19th century from the Greek prefix para-, meaning “beside” or “alongside,” and sitos, meaning “food,” together with the suffix -osis, indicating a condition or disease. It belongs to the same Greek-derived family as parasite, parasitic, parasitism, and parasitology. The terminology reflects the long-established medical concept of organisms living on or within a host and feeding at its expense.
Related word forms
How parasitosis is actually used
This is a formal medical term. It is less common in general speech, where “parasitic infection” is usually more natural, and it is often used in medical and veterinary contexts.
Easily confused with parasitosis
Parasitism is the state or condition of living as a parasite, whereas parasitosis refers to the disease or pathological condition caused by parasites.
Infection is the broader term for invasion or multiplication of infectious agents in a host, while parasitosis specifically denotes disease caused by parasitic organisms.