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Blood parasites Flashcards

1
Q

How is Diphyllobothrium latum acquired?

A

By eating raw or undercooked freshwater fish infected with plerocercoid larvae.

Diphyllobothrium latum (Fish Tapeworm)

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2
Q

What unique clinical feature is associated with Diphyllobothrium latum infection?

A

Vitamin B12 deficiency, potentially causing megaloblastic anemia.

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3
Q

What is the treatment for Diphyllobothrium latum?

A

Praziquantel

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4
Q

Where is Diphyllobothrium latum most prevalent?

A

Scandinavia, Chile, Argentina, and occasionally the Great Lakes region of the US.

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5
Q

What are the clinical features of Babesia infection?

A
  1. Flu-like sxs
  2. Hemolytic anemia
  3. Juandice
  4. Fever
  5. Malaise
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6
Q

What are the histologic features of Babesia infection?

A

Babesia forms Maltese cross tetrads in red blood cells.

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7
Q

Tx for Babesiosis

A

Atovaquone and azithromycin

or

Clindamycin and quinine (severe cases)

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8
Q

What are the four species of Plasmodium that infect humans?

A

P. falciparum
P. vivax
P. ovale
P. malariae

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9
Q

What is the vector for malaria?

A

Female Anopheles mosquitoes

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10
Q

How do symptoms of malaria correlate with erythrocytic cycles?

A

Fever paroxysms align with RBC rupture and merozoite release (e.g., 48-hour tertian cycles for P. vivax).

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11
Q

What is the most severe complication of P. falciparum?

A

Cerebral malaria

Causing coma, convulsions, and high mortality

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12
Q

What distinguishes recrudescence from relapse in malaria?

A

Recrudescence occurs from latent RBC merozoites

Relapse originates from dormant liver hypnozoites.

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13
Q

What is the hallmark microscopic finding of P. falciparum?

A

Banana-shaped gametocytes in blood smears

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14
Q

What are the stages of malaria symptoms?

A

Cold stage (shivering, fever onset)

hot stage (high fever, nausea),

sweating stage (profuse sweating, exhaustion)

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15
Q

What complication is characterized by “blackwater fever”?

A

Acute intravascular hemolysis, leading to dark urine from free hemoglobin

Caused by P. falciparum

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16
Q

Why is malaria particularly dangerous during pregnancy?

A

It causes placental cytoadherence, leading to fetal growth restriction, low birth weight, and increased maternal mortality.

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17
Q

What is the gold standard for diagnosing malaria?

A

Giemsa-stained blood smears.

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18
Q

How is Babesia confirmed

A

Via PCR, serology, or detection of Maltese cross formations in RBCs

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19
Q

What unique feature allows P. falciparum to cause cerebral malaria?

A

Cytoadherence of infected RBCs to brain capillaries via ICAM-1 and other receptors.

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20
Q

What virulence factor allows Diphyllobothrium latum to cause vitamin B12 deficiency?

A

Its high affinity for absorbing vitamin B12 in the intestines

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21
Q

How does P. vivax cause relapses of malaria?

A

By reactivating dormant hypnozoites in the liver

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22
Q

Describe the life cycle of Diphyllobothrium latum

A

Humans ingest infected freshwater fish → larva attaches to the small intestine → matures into an adult worm → eggs released in feces → eggs develop in water → copepods ingest larva → fish consume copepods → humans eat fis

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23
Q

Vitamin B12 deficiency leading to megaloblastic anemia, with symptoms such as fatigue, mild diarrhea, and anemia.

Parasitic infection from hematology block

A

clinical manifestation of Diphyllobothrium latum infection

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24
Q

What is the treatment of choice for Diphyllobothrium latum

A

Praziquantel

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25
What is a distinguishing complication of ingesting an intermediate larval stage of Diphyllobothrium latum?
Formation of **nodules under the skin**, mistaken for tumors, that may require surgical removal.
26
What is the life cycle of Babesia in humans?
Ticks introduce sporozoites into the bloodstream → sporozoites infect RBCs → transform into merozoites → rupture RBCs → infect new RBCs. Occasionally, gametocytes form in humans.
27
Name the four species of Plasmodium that infect humans and their associated periodicity.
28
Two main life cycles of *Plasmodium*
**Sporogony** - sexual reproduction in mosquitoes **Schizogony** - asexual reproduction in humans (liver and erythrocytic stages)
29
What is cerebral malaria, and what causes it?
A severe complication of ***P. falciparum*** caused by cytoadherence of infected RBCs to brain capillaries, **leading to oxygen deprivation**
30
What is the treatment for chloroquine-resistant P. falciparum?
Artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT)
31
Recrudescence vs. relapse in malaria
**Recrudescence** occurs from latent parasites in RBCs (P. falciparum, P. malariae), while **relapse** originates from dormant hypnozoites in the liver (P. vivax, P. ovale).
32
What is the epidemiological significance of *P. falciparum*?
It causes the most severe disease and **highest mortality** among the Plasmodium species, particularly in **sub-Saharan Africa**.
33
Why is *P. vivax* associated with relapse?
Hypnozoites remain dormant in the liver and can reactivate months or years later.
34
What is blackwater fever?
A complication of *P. falciparum* involving **massive hemolysis**, leading to hemoglobinuria and **kidney damage**
35
What stage of Diphyllobothrium latum is infectious to humans?
Plerocercoid larvae.
36
What receptors are involved in placental malaria?
Chondroitin sulfate A and hyaluronic acid
37
What is the unique feature of Diphyllobothrium latum eggs?
Eggs must reach freshwater to continue the life cycle.
38
Plasmodial resistance to chloroquine
Due to decreased accumulation of drug in parasite food vacuole
39
What drug should be given to eradicate schizoites and latent hypnozoites in a patient’s liver?
Primaquine
40
Which drug used in malaria treatment is MOST likely to be associated with an acute hemolytic reaction in patients with glucose-6-phosphate-dehydrogenase deficiency?
Primaquine
41
D. Nifurtimox
42
D. Interference w/ polymerization of heme into hemozoin
43
D. Decreased conversion of heme into hemozoin
44
D. G6PD deficiency
45
D. Atovaquone-proguanil
46
A. Primaquine
47
DOC for Tx of Leishmaniasis
Sodium stibogluconate | QT prolongation
48
Cinchonism
An entire constellation of symptoms comprised of: tinnitus high-tone deafness visual disturbances, headache dysphoria vomiting postural hypotension QT prolongation rashes increased LFTs blindness/blurred vision optic neuritis | **Associated w/ quinine Tx**
49
How are *Diphyllobothrium* infections most commonly identified?
By finding proglottid segments in the stool
50
Severe cases of babesiosis primarily cause which disease type?
C) Hemolytic anemia
51
Diphyllobothrium is classified as which group of parasites?
Cestode | Tapeworm
52
What is a histologic finding that can be used to distinguish malarial infection from babesiosis?
The presence of four intracellular trophozoites w/i RBC
53
Which genus and species of malaria is most commonly the most severe?
*Plasmodium falciparum*
54
Babesiosis is transmitted by what vector?
Tick
55
Which peculiar characteristic is associated with *Diphyllobothrium* infections?
Vitamin deficiency ## Footnote Paritcularly B12 - can cause megaloblastic anemia
56
E. Scandinavia
57
B. RBCs
57
A. Small mammals (mice) ## Footnote Neccessary for reproduction (similar to Lyme)
58
D. Intermitten or constant fever ## Footnote Characterizes the erythrocytic cycle of malarial infection
59
Which malarial causing organism has an irregular erythrocytic cycle
P. falciparum (irregular tertian cycle)
60
B. *P. ovale and P. vivax*
61
B. The invasion, development of new sporozoites, and release from RBCs
62
D. The extremely high parasitism | (increased number of parasites)
63
D. Cerebral malaria

MI Immuno/Heme (35 decks)

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