Helminths, Protozoa, and Fungi S/S Flashcards
Taenia solium…aka pork tapeworm
S/S: Nausea, abdominal pain, weight loss, and diarrhea
Schistosoma japonicum…aka blood fluke
S/S: Swimmer’s itch devops where the cercariae burrowed in the skin, tissue damage, and infections can become chronic and fatal when eggs lodge in the liver, brain, and other organs.
Ascaris lumbricoides…aka giant ascarid
S/S: Abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, complete intestinal obstruction which can become fatal, dry cough, difficult breathing, and bloody sputum
Necator americanus…aka hookworm disease
S/S: Chronic anemia, iron deficiency, protein deficiency, ground itch
Enterobius vermicularis…aka pinworm
S/S: Can be asymptomatic or if symptomatic then intense perianal itching occurs.
Wuchereria bancrofti…aka elephantiasis
S/S: Can be asymptomatic for years and then lymphatic damage can be seen.
Naegleria fowleri
S/S: Severe headache, fever, vomiting, neurological tissue damage leading to hemorrhage, coma, and death
Trypanosoma cruzi…aka Chagas’ disease
S/S: The acute stage characterizes swelling at the site of the bug. The generalized stage is characterized by fever, swollen lymph nodes, myocarditis, and enlargement of the spleen, esophagus, and colon. The chronic stage is asymptomatic. The symptomatic stage is characterized by congestive heart failure and the formation of non flagellated trypanosomes in heart muscle tissue.
Trypanosoma brucei gambiense…aka African sleeping sickness
S/S: The wound of the fly bite becomes a lesion containing dead tissue and dividing parasites. Some symptoms are fever, swelling of lymph nodes, and headaches. The invasion of the central nervous system will cause extreme drowsiness, abnormal neurological function, coma, and even death if left untreated.
Giardia intestinalis…aka beaver fever/backpacker’s fever
S/S: Often asymptomatic, however, after the incubation period of 7-14 days, it can lead to diarrhea, abdominal pain, flatus, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, no absorption of nutrients, and low-grade fever.
Trichomonas vaginalis
S/S: Purulent, odorous discharge, abdominal pain, painful urination, and painful intercourse
Plasmodium falciparum…aka Malaria
S/S: Fever, chills, diarrhea, headache, occasionally pulmonary or cardiac dysfunction, anemia, weakness, fatigue, and sometimes become jaundiced
Toxoplasma gondii
S/S: No symptoms occur, however, a small percentage of people can have fever, headache, muscle pain, sore throat. In AIDS patients, symptoms can range to spastic paralysis, blindness, myocardiatis,, and death. From mother to fetus, it can result in spontaneous abortion, stillbirth, epilepsy, mental retardation, abnormally small head, inflammation of retina, anemia, jaundice, etc.
Histoplasma capsulatum
S/S: Most people are asymptomatic, but some people experience pain while breathing, mild coughing, fever, night sweats, and weight loss.
Coccidioides immitis
S/S: Mostly shows no symptoms, however, can have fever, cough, chest pain, difficulty breathing, coughing up blood, headache, night sweats, weight loss, pneumonia, headache, nausea, and emotional disturbance.
Candida albicans
S/S: Appear as white plaques on affected tissues
Trichophyton rubrum
S/S: Red, raised lesions on and around toes and soles of foot, webbing between the toes as well
