Probiotics in Control of Infections Caused by Helminths
Chapter from the book:
Ölmez,
M.
(ed.)
2023.
Therapeutic, Prophylactic, and Functional Use of Probiotics in Veterinary Sciences.
Synopsis
Helminths are multicellular, long-lived parasites that cause chronic infections in humans and animals. Infections caused by helminths are a major public health problem for people living in low- and middle-income countries. Helminths are among the causes of direct and indirect economic losses in animal breeding. Probiotics are defined as live microorganisms, including bacteria and some yeasts, that have positive effects on health in addition to their widely known nutritional benefits when taken in sufficient amounts. However, it is stated that probiotics have the ability to intervene in the physiology of parasites and can reduce the virulence of many parasites with their anthelmintic effects in their secretions. Therefore, it is thought that probiotics may be an integral part of the development of helminth control strategies. However, the role of probiotic bacteria in regulating immunity against helminths has not yet been clearly explained and the effects of probiotics on helminth infections have not been largely investigated. For these reasons, in this chapter, we tried to provide information about the developments in research on helminth infections to date.