What Is a Host Inside the Body?

A host inside the body serves as a home and breeding ground for viruses and parasites. A human body can itself become a host, but so can individual cells and organs, such as the brain, stomach or liver.

Function

• A host inside a body provides the nutrients --- tissue, blood or waste --- that a parasite needs to live and multiply. For example, a full stomach can host a tapeworm by providing it with partially digested food. Human liver cells and red blood cells host the Plasmodium parasite as it grows and multiplies to cause malaria. The brain plays host to a tissue-eating amoeba called Naegleria fowleri, which causes a fatal infection.

Symptoms

• If parasites have found a host inside a body, they may manifest in prolonged flulike symptoms, such as fever, chills, headaches and diarrhea. They can also create skin rashes, cause blurry vision or exit a body through feces.

Prevention/Solution

• To prevent becoming a host to parasites, know your surroundings and wash your belongings thoroughly after freshwater swimming and foreign travel.

  Parasites can enter a host through freshwater lakes, mosquito bites, hotel bedding and even the air we breathe. The best way to prevent becoming a host to these hard-to-see creepers is to educate yourself on the common parasites and diseases near where you live. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends contacting your physician to obtain up-to-date health information and any necessary vaccinations before any foreign travel.