Antiparasitic

Antiparasitics are a class of medications which are indicated for the treatment of parasitic diseases, such as those caused by helminths, amoeba, ectoparasites, parasitic fungi, and protozoa, among others. Antiparasitics target the parasitic agents of the infections by destroying them or inhibiting their growth; they are usually effective against a limited number of parasites within a particular class. Antiparasitics are one of the antimicrobial drugs which include antibiotics that target bacteria, and antifungals that target fungi. They may be administered orally, intravenously or topically. Overuse or misuse of antiparasitics can lead to the development of antimicrobial resistance. Broad-Spectrum antiparasitics, analogous to broad-spectrum antibiotics for bacteria, are antiparasitic drugs with efficacy in treating a wide range of parasitic infections caused by parasites from different classes. List of human parasitic diseases Nitazoxanide Antiprotozoal Melarsoprol (for treatment of sleeping sickness caused by Trypanosoma brucei) Eflornithine (for sleeping sickness) Metronidazole (for vaginitis caused by Trichomonas) Tinidazole (for intestinal infections caused by Giardia lamblia) Miltefosine (for the treatment of visceral and cutaneous leishmaniasis, currently undergoing investigation for Chagas disease) Antihelminthic Mebendazole (for most nematode infections) Pyrantel pamoate (for most nematode infections) Thiabendazole (for roundworm infections) Diethylcarbamazine (for treatment of Lymphatic filariasis) Ivermectin (for prevention of river blindness) Niclosamide (for tapeworm infections) Praziquantel (for tapeworm infections) Albendazole (broad spectrum) Praziquantel Rifampin Amphotericin B Antifungal Fumagillin (for microsporidiosis) Antiparasitics treat parasitic diseases, which impact an estimated 2 billion people. Antiparastics may be given via a variety of routes depending on the specific medication, including oral, topical, and intravenous. Resistance to antiparasitics has been a growing concern, especially in veterinary medicine.