In a direct parasite lifecycle, eggs are shed and passed to a member of which group?

• A. The same species
• B. A different species
• C. A parasite vector
• D. The environment

Answer: (A)

Direct transmission means the parasite moves from one individual to another within the same species, without needing an intermediate host or vector. The eggs shed by an infected host are picked up by another member of the same species, often through contact or environmental contamination that is then encountered by someone of the same species. That’s why the recipient group is the same species. If transmission required a different species, a vector, or relied on the environment as the sole carrier, it would indicate an indirect cycle, a vector-borne route, or an environmental reservoir rather than direct, same-species transfer.