Helminths (Dustin) Flashcards
General description of helminths
Worms, Eukaryotes.
From 0.1 mm to 15 meters
Reproduce by producing eggs, using intermediate and final hosts
Usually they are parasites of the GI tract, but can infect other tissues and cause filiarisis
Typically produce eosinophilia, IgE elevation
2 types of infectious helminths, relevant morphology, their sexual reproduction pattern, their digestive tract development, and any sub-categories?
- Roundworms (nematodes): cylindrical, unsegmented body. Males are smaller/curved, females are larger/linear. Usually sexual reproduction. Have complete intestinal tract.
- Flatworms (platyhelminthes): Usually hemaphroditic but can have sexual reproduction. Incomplete or lack of digestive system. Can be trematodes (flukes) or cestodes (tapeworms)
What are some morphological features of flukes and tapeworms?
Flukes (trematodes): leaf-shaped, 2 suckers. Complex life cycle (in another card)
Tapeworms (cestodes): long worms consisting of several segments (proglottids, and sum of the segments is called strobila). Has suckers on scolex (head) and rostellum + hooks. Male and female genitals are formed in mature proglottids. Mature proglottids are basically a bag of eggs
What is the life cycle of trematodes?
- Egg
- Flagellated larva (miracidium)
- Saccular larva (sporocyst, in intermediate host)
- Redia: larvae in the GI
- Cercaria: final larva stage, infective. Can penetrate skin
Adult stage develops in final host.
Categorization of all the worms that are on the topic list
(I don’t expect to be able to recite all the names of the worms off the top of my head but this is just a refresher card to be able to group the species)
Cestodes: Taenia saginiata and solium, Diphyllobotrium latum, Hymenolepis nana, Echinococcus granulosus and multilocularis
Trematodes: Schistosoma mansoni japonicum and haemotobium, Fasciola hepatica, Paragonimum westermani
Nematodes: Trichinella spiralis, Enterobius vermicularis, Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichuria, Strongyloides stercolaris, Toxocara canis and cati, Hookworms (Ancylostoma duodenala and Necator americanus)
+Nematodes causing filiarisis: Loa loa, Wuchereria bancrofti, Dracunculus medinensis, Oncocerca volvulus
Which species of nematodes have only an intestinal phase in humans?
Which ones also have an extraintestinal phase?
Only intestinal: Enterobius vermicularis, Trichuris trichuria
Extraintestinal phases: Ascaris lumbricoides, Toxocara canis and cati, Ancylostoma duodenala, Necator americanus, Strongyloides stercolaris
Which species are the geohelminths? (no direct-human-human transmission; only through soil)
Infectious eggs develop in soil: Trichuris trichuria, Ascaris lumbricoides, Toxocara canis and cati
Infectious (filariform) larvae develop in soil: Ancylostoma duodenala, Necator americanus (hookworms). Strongyloides stercolaris.
Viviparous nematodes (release only larvae): Trichinella spiralis
Antihelminth drugs, based on taxonomy
Anti-nematode: albendazole, mebendazole, thiabendazole, levamisole, ivermectin
Anti-trematode or cestode: Praziquantel, Niclosamide
Taenia saginata: Location Morphology/Taxonomy Life cycle Disease Diagnostics Therapy
- “Beef Tapeworm” - found in Africa, South America, Eastern Europe
- Tapeworm (Cestode, Flatworm/Platyhelminth), 3-10m.
- Eat raw/undercooked beef (intermediate host) infected with cystericus larva -> larva form in SI -> develop to mature worms in 3 months (human definitive host) -> proglottids containing eggs released in stool -> ingestion by other cattle -> form cysts in cow muscle, brain, eye
- Usually asymptomatic, maybe GI upset. T. saginata not as bad as solium.
- Diagnostics: motile proglottids in stool
- Therapy: niclosamide, praziquantel
Taenia solium: Location Morphology/Taxonomy Life cycle Disease Diagnostics Therapy
- “Pork Tapeworm” - found wherever pork is raised
- Cestode, Flatworm/Platyhelminth, 2-5m. Hooks on proglottid heads.
- Eat raw/undercooked pork (intermediate host) infected with cystericus larva -> larva form in SI -> develop to mature worms in 3 months (human definitive host) -> proglottids containing eggs released in stool -> ingestion by other pigs -> form cysts in pig muscle, brain, eye
- Usually asymptomatic, maybe GI upset or cysterceri may damage muscles, eyes, or CNS (neurocysticercosis from ingesting eggs in water contaminated by pig feces, NOT by ingesting larva in meat).
- Diagnostics: motile proglottids in stool
- Therapy: niclosamide, praziquantel
Diphyllobothrium latum: Location Morphology/Taxonomy Life cycle Disease Diagnostics Therapy
- “Fish tapeworm” - northern climates, places where raw fish is eaten
- Cestode, Flatworm/Platyhelminth. 13m (largest flatworm)
- Consume raw fish -> larvae mature in SI -> eggs released in stool, get into water -> embryo ingested by crabs (first intermediate host) -> procercoid larva -> migrates to muscles of fish (second intermediate host) -> plerocercoid larva in fish, later eaten by human.
- Usually symptomless, may have diarrhea or deficient B12, megaloblastic anemia
- Diagnostics: lidded eggs present in stool
- Therapy: niclosamide, praziquantel
Hymenolepis nana: Morphology/Taxonomy Location Life cycle Disease Diagnostics Therapy
- “Dwarf tapeworm” - 5cm
- Worldwide, mostly tropical regions
- No intermediate host. Spread by dirty hands. Ingest infectious eggs -> cystericoid and worm develop inside -> proglottids detatch -> eggs released -> present in stool -> re-infection bc hundreds of worms in GI tract.
- Usually asymptomatic
- Diagnostics: ova in stool
- Therapy: praziquantel, niclosamide
What are the two Echinococcus species?
- Morphology/Taxonomy
- Definitive and intermediate hosts
- Life cycle
- E. granulosus and E. multilocaris
- Cestode, Flatworm/Platyhelminth. 2-6mm.
- Definitive hosts usually dogs/other carnivores (e.g. foxes, cats), intermediate are herbivores that dogs/ wolves/ foxes eat (e.g. sheep). Humans = rare accidental intermediate hosts
- Dogs release eggs in stool -> intermediate hosts take up eggs -> larva hatch in intestine and spread in tissues -> dogs eat infected intermediate animal
What are the two Echinococcus species?
- Difference between the two species
- Disease
- Diagnosis
- Therapy
- E. granulosus and E. multilocaris
- E. granulosis final host is dogs, intermediate are sheep, cattle, swine or human. Makes hydatid cyst. E. multilocularis final host is fox, intermediate hosts are rodents or humans. Has smaller spongy cysts which only invade liver (E. alvolaris)
- From GI, larva invade mucosa -> hematogenous spread -> form hydatid cysts in brain, liver, lungs. Cysts bursting can cause anaphylactic reaction
- Diagnosis: serology. Cysts: CT, MRI
- Therapy: surgical resection, benzimadazoles
Fasciola hepatica: Morphology/Taxonomy Life cycle Disease Diagnostics Therapy
- Sheep Liver Fluke (Trematode, Flatworm)
- Eggs develop to miracidia larvae in water -> in intermediate host (snails) transform to sporocyst -> redia -> cercaria. Cercaria move to plants or crustaceans. In definitive host (normally sheep, cattle; rarely human): cercaria ingested -> invade intestinal mucosa -> spread to liver -> adult helminth develops. After fertilization, eggs get in bile and released in stool.
- Hepatomegaly, hepatitis, bile duct obstruction, jaundice. May also infect eye, brain, lungs, skin.
- Diagnosis: egg detection in stool or bile
- Therapy: Benzimidazole, Praziquantel