Endoparasites are parasites which live inside a host and generally inhabit areas such as the gut, lungs, heart and blood vessels.
Endoparasites are important because:
- They can cause severe disease to the host
- Many are highly resistant to environmental degradation and can cause widespread contamination of the environment if not controlled
- They may be zoonotic or transmit zoonotic infections
- They may interfere with the human – animal bond
- Their control is part of maintaining healthy pets
Endoparasites belong to one of two types:

Helminths (Worms)

Protozoa
Further information about each of these types of parasites can be found by clicking the links above.