Babesia and Toxoplasma Flashcards
outline some basic characteristics of the parasite Babesia
Apicomplexan, intracellular parasite which utilises an arachnid vector
three stage lifecycle like malaria
definitive hosts= ticks (which are also the vector)
intermediate host= a wide group and growing range of mammals
main vectors are the Boophilus annulatus and B.microplus
where is the parasite Babesia usually found
predominates in costal areas, wetlands, marshes and lake shores but not limited to these areas
the distribution of the disease is correlated with tick distribution as without the tick there is no parasite
outline the history of Babesia prevalence
1880s:outbreaks of Texas Cattle fever devastated cattle agriculture
1888: Romania, Victor Babes first documented the parasite
1893: Newyork state, Theobald Smith and Fred Kilbourne identified Babesia as the cause of Texas cattle fever and the ticks as vectors
1957: first case in humans discorvered through a splenectomised patient
1969: first case in non splenectomised patient, possible mutation allowing it to infect humans?
1970-present:disease in horses, humans and cattles called prioplasmosis
outline the pathology overview of Babesia
- infects erythrocytes and causes haemolytic (red blood cell bursting) disease which is known as babesiosis or prioplasmosis
- common name of the disease is red water fever due to the presence of lysed haemoglobin in urine
zoonotic species which infect humans
= B.microti (USA) and B.divergens (Europe)
symptoms similar to those of malaria so is often misdiagnosed
what are the two main species of Babesia which infect cattle
Babesia bigemina and B.bovis
- over 100 species identified but few pathogenic to humans
when is the parasite Babesia most severe
in splenectomised, immunosuppressed, elderly, young or pregnant people
outline the vector of Babesia
Ticks act as both the definitive host (where sexual reproduction occurs) and the vectors
- they are relatively host specific with most transmission caused by nymphal stages but all stages can be infected
- only feed on one host before dying
how does the type of tick affect distribution of the parasite
Hard ticks are long term feeders, remaining on the host for a few days compared to soft ticks which only feed for a few hours.
Therefore hard ticks have a greater distance over which they can be dispersed as the host travels
what is meant when the Babesia parasite is described as allowing transovarial transmission
the parasite is transmitted from the adult tick to the eggs then to the larvae (vertical transmission)
the parasite survives each moult stage; the nymph will attach to a host to feed also transmitting the parasite so it becomes very well established in tick populations
outline similarities between the apicomplexan parasites Babesia and Plasmodium (malaria)
- transmitted by an arthropod vector
- have asexual multiplication in vertebrate erythrocytes
- sexual reproduction within a vector
- produce sporozoites in vector salivary glands
- similar symptoms and mechanisms for infection
- both have equal importance to human health, and agriculture
what are the distinct processes in the lifecycle of Apicomplexans also including Babesia
three distinct stages
1) Sporogony
2) Merogony
3) Gametogony
what is the difference between monoxenous species and heteroxenous species
mono= all three of these process seen in apicomplexan life cycles occurs in a single host, often in a single cell/tissue type
hetero= processes carried out in different hosts and generally involve different tissues = Toxoplasma and Babesia
how do the merozoites formed from the trophozoites differ in plasmodium and Babesia parasites
in Babesia four merozoites form a tetrad called the Maltese cross which is diagnostic of the parasite
up to 12 parasites may infect a single erythrocyte compared to 3 in plasmodium
outline some adaptations of ticks for parasite transmission
Ticks are able to survive some time without a blood meal therefore Babesia form dormant sporoblasts near the salivary gland
as soon as the tick prepares to take blood meal the sporoblasts rupture releasing 10,000 sporozoites into saliva (takes about 24 hours)
outline a case study using the B.canis species which use dogs as a host and how numbers increased
2011= government policy changed to spend less money on public services so got rid of biocontrol at UK ports so dogs no longer had to be inspected for ticks
2016= first case of tick borne disease in canines that had never left the UK showing local transmission established in Harlow and Essex with 25% dog mortality
