Helminthic Infections Flashcards
What trematode’s life cycle famously depends on both human hosts and freshwater snails? Give the 3 species and state whether each goes to the liver or bladder.
Schistosomiasis. S. mansoni and S. japonicum are liver; S. haemotobium is bladder.
What organism has the highest morbidity and mortality of any helminth, and can cause either pipestem fibrosis secondary to granulomatous inflammation of the liver; or hematuria, renal failure, and squamous cell carcinoma secondary to bladder inflammation? Give the 3 species and state whether each affects the liver or bladder.
Schistosomiasis. S. mansoni and S. japonicum are liver; S. haemotobium is bladder.
What helminthic adult, acquired eating improperly cooked pork, lives in the intestines while its larvae live in skeletal muscle? The larvae can cause myositis, extreme esoinophilia, periorbital edema, and even spread to the brain and heart. Give only a scientific name.
Trichinella spiralis
The cestode Diphyllobothrium latum is generally acquired from what animals?
Fish
What organism is the most common helminthic infection in humans, affecting up to 1 billion people worldwide. It is usually asymptomatic. Give its scientific and common name.
Ascaris lumbricoides, or “roundworm”
Which helminth is capable of autoinfection in the human body? It usually lives asymptomatically in the small bowel, but can spread to other organs in immunocompromised patients, possibly leading to sepsis and death. Give its scientific and common name.
Strongyloides stercoralis, or “threadworm”
What organism, transmitted by mango flies, lives in human capillaries and is noticed only when they migrate across the conjunctivae or when their death incites fever and CNS inflammation? Give its scientific and common name.
Loa loa, or “eyeworm”
What organism has the strange property of being mostly asymptomatic if its cysts/adults are ingested by a human, but can be catastrophic if its eggs are the form ingested? The eggs degenerate and cause massive inflammation, potentially leading to a “Swiss cheese” like brain, blindness, arrhythmias, and death. Give the names for the 2 different infections (adult vs. egg), and the scientific name of the pig-based species.
adult/asymptomatic: Taeniasis eggs/symptomatic: Cysticercosis organism: Taenia solium (Taenia saginata is the cow variant)
What helminth is acquired from undercooked freshwater fish and targets the bile duct when symptomatic, potentially causing cholangitis, cholangiocarcinoma, hepatomegaly, and pancreatitis? Give its scientific and common name.
Clonorchis sinensis, or “Chinese liver fluke”
What two organisms can cause lymphatic filariasis, otherwise known as “elephantiasis”? Give their scientific names only.
Wuchereria bancrofti or Brugia malayi
What organism lives in the human cecum and appendix but lays its eggs in perianal and perineal skin, causing pruritis? Give its scientific and common name.
Enterobius vermicularis, or “pinworm”
What is the scientific name for the “giant intestinal fluke”, which can be acquired from contaminated vegetables and causes small bowel ulcers, pain, and obstruction?
Fasciolopsis buski
What organism, acquired from domestic animals, lives its adult life in the intestines but has its eggs form cysts in deep organs such as liver and lungs? It is usually asymptomatic, but can cause major allergic reactions when the cysts rupture. Give the name of the disease and the scientific name of the organism.
Cystic hydatid disease, caused by Echinococcus granulosus
What organism, acquired from dinking water in the Middle East, India, or sub-Saharan Africa areas, forms a blister near the ankle and bursts out of the skin when the foot touches water? It is commonly removed by wrapping the exposed end of the worm around a stick and slowly pulling it out. Give the scientific and common name.
Drancunculus medinensis, or “Guinea worm”
What organism burrows its head into the superficial mucosa of the large bowel, causing inflammation, abdominal cramps, and dysentery? Give its scientific and common name.
Trichuris trichiura, or “whipworm”
