The article presents the materials of the conducted research, devoted to the reflection in the means of collecting (philately, phaleristics, numismatics) information about a number of parasitic diseases and their vectors, as well as the memory of a number of foreign doctors-parasitologists, who left their significant scientific and practical contribution to medical science.

The study of issues related to the history of medicine, its various sections, as well as issues related to the life and scientific activities of heroes of medicine and their contribution to the world medical science, is always relevant and in demand. This statement directly relates to the study of such medical disciplines as tropical diseases and parasitology. In this research paper, its author has presented both thematic theoretical material and rich illustrative material, made in the form of screenshots of philatelic, phaleristic and numismatic materials, which greatly enriched and decorated this article. In the form of screen-illustrations, there are images, in philatelic, phaleristic and numismatic means of collecting, both the parasites and pathogens themselves, and portraits of scientists who were engaged in their study.

Purpose/aim of the work

Provide information on the representation of a number of tropical and parasitic diseases, using, as illustrations, collecting media such as philately, phaleristics, numismatics.

When conducting this research work, we used the method of literary and critical analysis of available scientific sources of information on the issue under study, using catalogs, specialized periodicals, encyclopedias, reference books, Internet resources.

To begin my story, I would like to present a selection of thematic philatelic materials devoted to schistomatosis and scientists who dealt with the etiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, clinic, treatment and prevention of this disease. Fig. 1 shows a selection of postage stamps of such countries as Brazil, United Arab Republic / UAR (no longer exists), Egypt, Belgium, Kenya, Burkina Faso, as well as a commemorative medal of the British Society of Parasitology, and a commemorative bronze Brazilian medal dedicated to Piraja da Silva and, which are thematically dedicated to schistosomiasis [2, 4, 9, 16].

In addition, on the same Fig. 1, there are portraits of the Brazilian parasitologist Piraja da Silva (1908-1958), whose active research activities were devoted to this parasitic disease [4, 9, 16]. The UAR postage stamp bears a portrait of the German scientist Theodor Bilharz (1825-1862), whose scientific activity was also devoted to the study of schistosomiasis [2, 15].

Figure 1: Collection materials on schistosomiasis, transmission routes, and scientists who have worked on the disease

Fig. 2 shows a selection of collectibles (postage stamps, envelopes, cartomaximum, medal, badge) dedicated to leishmaniasis and the scientists who were involved in its research [5, 8, 12-14, 16]. One of them is a Brazilian parasitologist, Gaspar Vianna (1885-1914), who was also active in American trypanosomiasis, and another Brazilian epidemiologist and parasitologist, Adolfo Lutz (1855-1940), who was also active in yellow fever [5, 8, 9, 12-14, 16]. The Israeli scientist Saul Adler (1895|6-1966) was actively involved in the field of leishmaniasis [5, 8, 12-14, 16].

Figure 2: Collection set dedicated to the fight against leishmaniasis and its heroes

Figure 3. Collection set dedicated to dracunculiasis

In Fig. 4, shows a small selection of postage stamps, envelopes, and postmarks from around the world dedicated to different types of ticks and Lyme disease [6, 10, 16]. 

Figure 5: Philatelic selection dedicated to different species of ticks and Lyme disease

The following collection (postage stamps, commemorative medals and banknotes of Brazil) is dedicated to the famous Brazilian scientist, infectious disease doctor, bacteriologist and parasitologist - Kárlos Justinian Ribeiro Chagas (1879-1934) [9, 16]. Chagas' disease (trypanosomiasis), caused by a special species of bloodsucking bedbug (Triatoma) from the family of predators, is named after him. In 1909 he discovered that this bedbug was a carrier of a previously unknown protozoan parasite of the genus Trypanosoma; Chagas named it Trypanosoma cruzi in honor of Oswaldo Cruz - a famous doctor [9, 16]. Portraits of the scientist and the Triatoma bug are represented on both postage stamps and commemorative medals [9, 16]. 

Figure 7: Collection set dedicated to Chagas disease and Kárlos Justinian Ribeiro Chagas

Figure 8: Philatelic materials devoted to fleas

Also, there are other postage stamps (Mozambique, the Republic of Niger, which depict other human parasites - bed (feather) mites, bedbugs and lice (Pediculus Humanus), which are shown in Fig. 9 [6, 10, 16].

On fig. 9, a small selection of collection materials (stamps and blocks) is presented, dedicated to the tsetse fly / Tsetse (Glossina sp.) and African trypanosomiasis [2, 16]. Also, in the same Fig. 9, a selection of postage stamps is presented, dedicated to famous scientists who studied African trypanosomiasis, such as, for example, the French scientist Jamot Vainqeur (1879-1937), the English scientist and traveler - David Livingston (1813-1883), David Bruce (1855-1931) , the role of the Tse-tse fly in its transmission to humans and animals [2, 16].

Figure 9: Collection materials dedicated to the Tse-tse fly and African trypanosomiasis

On fig. 10, a selection of postage stamps of the Republic of Cuba (1975) is presented, dedicated to various parasites (woodlice, helminths, mites, flies) affecting both domestic animals and people who care for them and eat their meat [16].

Figure. 10. Postage stamps dedicated to parasites of animals and birds

On fig. 11, obverse and reverse, commemorative bronze medals dedicated to medical entomology are presented, with the image of a malarial mosquito, a flea, a bug and an ixodid tick on its reverse [7, 16].

Figure. 11: Commemorative medals dedicated to medical entomology and parasitology

1.This concludes the first article in a large series of articles by the author on parasitology and tropical diseases. There is an author's work on the next, new articles.

2. The author in full, creatively and vividly, with the help of non-standard screenshot-illustrative materials, fully disclosed and fulfilled the purpose of this article.

Naturally, within the framework of such a short article, it is very difficult to present all the information on parasitology and tropical diseases in the reflection of collectibles. This will be reflected in future articles