Helminths, protozoa, and parasites

Question 1

Ascaris lumbricoides

Answer 1

Roundworm infection, require specialized stool test to detect, 1-2 year life span, lays 200,000 eggs per day

Question 2

Ascariasis

Answer 2

Often asymptomatic disease following roundworm infection, abdominal cramping, dry cough, or seeing worm in stool are possibilities, can lead to obstruction of bowels

Question 3

Ascariasis/necator amerricanus/enterobius vermicularis treatment

Answer 3

Mebendazole, pyrantel pamoate, albendazole

Question 4

Necator americanus

Answer 4

Hookworm, 2nd most common helminth infection, buries thru skin in foot and then lays eggs in intestine causing bloody diarrhea

Question 5

Often necator americanus causes…

Answer 5

…iron deficiency

Question 6

Trichinella spiralis

Answer 6

Most often found in undercooked pork, enter into skeletal muscle and form spiral growths, manifests as muscle aches, fever, and abdominal pain

Question 7

Lab test for trichinosis

Answer 7

Creatine kinase (checks levels of muscle breakdown), or muscle biopsy

Question 8

Trichinella spiralis treatment

Answer 8

Mebendazole, thiabenzadole, preventative measures

Question 9

Enterobius vermicularis

Answer 9

Pinworm, unique in that it does NOT cause eosinophilia, often females lay eggs in anus at night causing itching in the evening, fecal oral or clothing food route

Question 10

Diagnosis of enterobius vermicularis

Answer 10

Scotchtape test - on anus in the morning, tape to a slide and bring in to look for eggs

Question 11

Wuchereria bancrofti

Answer 11

Cause of filarial fever, sequelae elephantitis, transmitted via mosquito, causes eosinophilia, resides in lymphatic system

Question 12

Filarial fever

Answer 12

Lymphangitis intermittently

Question 13

Filarial fever treatment

Answer 13

Diethylcarbmazine citrate - must be acquired via the CDC and reported and documented

Question 14

Toxocara canis

Answer 14

Obtained from cats and dogs, predominant in children resulting in eosinophilia, hepatomegaly, hyperglobulinemia, pulmonary symptoms and fever

Question 15

Toxocara canis treatment

Answer 15

Almost none, corticosteroids

Question 16

Schistosomiasis

Answer 16

Blood fluke flat worm infection, egg passes from feces into fresh water, hatch and infect snails as host, leave and penetrate humans in water to mature and lay eggs

Question 17

3 disorders resulting from schistosomiasis

Answer 17

1) dermatitis (swimmer’s itch)
2) katayama fever
3) chronic fibro obstructive disease

Question 18

Schistosomiasis treatmnet

Answer 18

Praziquantal for most

Question 19

Taenia solium

Answer 19

Tapeworms, can cause bloating, abdominal pain and diarrhea, intestinal obstruction, occasionally results in cysticercosis

Question 20

Taenia solium treatmneet

Answer 20

Praziquantal or niclosamide, surgery, albendazole or mebendazole

Question 21

Giardia lamblia

Answer 21

Flagellated protozoan, causes traveler’s diarrhea, waterborne, spread via person to person contact, diarrhea, bloating, distension,

Question 22

Giardia lamblia treatment

Answer 22

Metronidazole

Question 23

Cryptosporidium protozoa

Answer 23

Transmits via waterborne, person to person contact, sexual contact, children in daycare, results in watery diarrhea, fever

Question 24

Cryptosporidiosis lab

Answer 24

Stool sample, fecal fat

Question 25

Cryptosporidium treatment

Answer 25

None, paromomycin and fluids

Question 26

Amebiasis causative agents

Answer 26

Entamoeba histolytica, entamoube dispar

Question 27

Amebiasis

Answer 27

Infection from cyst ingested from contaminated water with fecal matter

Question 28

Amebiasis treatment

Answer 28

Metronidazole

Question 29

Pediuclosis

Answer 29

Body lice

Question 30

Scabies

Answer 30

Intense itching and rash, treatment is permethrin cream, crotamiton cream, and lindane cream