Introductions to parasites, helminths and vectors Flashcards
What is a direct and indirect parasitic lifecycle?
Direct- requires one host.
Indirect- 2 or more hosts.
What is a mechanical vector?
A vector which spreads the parasite non-biologically i.e. on the feet of a fly.
What is the difference between an intermediate host and a vector?
Both involved for indirect parasite lifecycles. Intermediate host is usually big and slow-moving. A vector is usually smaller and quick moving.
What are Koch’s 3 postulates that he applied to bacteria?
- The bacteria must be present in every case of the disease.
- The bacteria must be isolated from the host with the disease and grown in pure culture.
- The specific disease must be reproduced when a pure culture of the bacteria is inoculated into a healthy susceptible host.
Give an example of the outcome of infection depending on what is already in the body.
Haemophilus can cause pustules or may not depending on the preexisting flora.
What are the two main phyla of helminths?
Platyhelminths
Nematodes
What is the phyla platyhelminth further subdivided into?
Trematoda and Cestoda both come under platyhelminths
What is the global burden of helminth infection?
1/3 of the world is infected.
What are the general features of parasitic helminths?
Multicellular, extracellular, often zoonotic, often from oral ingestion of eggs (sometimes skin penetration), they go through developmental stages (such as moulting, eggs/ larvae etc).
How are helminths different from protozoan parasites?
They often do not multiply inside the host and so the disease burden correlates with exposure, meaning that disease accumulates.
Furthermore, the disease is often persistent/chronic as it is long lived.
What is the definition of a definitive host?
The host that supports the adult or the sexually mature stage of the parasite.
What type of helminth is a fluke?
Trematode
What type of helminth is a tape work?
Cestode
What does digenetic mean? Describe the generic digenetic lifecycle of trematodes?
Means alternation between sexual reproduction inside a vertebrate and asexual reproduction inside a mollusc.
Eggs hatch in water to release miracidia –> infect snails –> multiply in snail intermediate host and form cercaridae–> cercariae released to infect new definitive host or encyst into metacercariae on plants which are eaten by the definitive host.
How are schistosomes exceptions to general trematode features?
Schistosomes are blood flukes in the blood vessels. trematodes are usually hermaphrodites but schisto are male and female (female rests inside a slit in the male’s body where they copulate 24 hours a day).
Describe which cestode stages are in the intermediate and definitive hosts.
Larvae stage in intermediate. Adult in definitive host.
Describe the structure of roundworms.
Long, unsegmented, cylindrical. Are often intestinal nematodes.
What is DALY?
Disability-adjusted life year. Quantifies the burden of disease from mortality and morbidity.
What is the function of a peritrophic matrix in blood feeding?
Is secreted by the midgut when blood feeding to start the digestion of the blood meal. They aid digestion, provide a mechanical barrier to pathogens and protect against mechanical and chemical damage.
Describe the two types of peritrophic matrix.
Type I and type II.
Type I is secreted by the entire midgut and is formed simply from the delamination of the surface of the midgut epithelium. Usually in response to feeding.
Type II is produced by a specialised group of cells in the anterior midgut (on the proventriculus). Occurs in the presence or absence of food. Continually secreted as an unbroken sleeve like structure.
What is the primary vector for cerebral malaria in sub Saharan Africa?
Anopheles gambii.
Why is anopheles gambii such a good vector?
- Night feeds so is hard to defend against
- Can fly up to 2km
- RAPID lifecycle from egg to adult in 6 days
- Unlike most mosquitoes, A. gambii goes UPwards when it hits a wall which makes it more likely to enter a house via the eaves.
- Extremely competent in hosting the full lifecycle of the malaria parasite.
- Acquires and transmits infection v quickly
- Rapid reproduction rate
- High percentage of mosquito survival from day to day.
- Can breed in very transient breeding grounds.
What is the extrinsic incubation period?
The extrinsic incubation period is the time taken by an organism to complete its development in the intermediate host
What is the fat store in insect vectors used for?
- Energy store
- Produces specialist immune cells.
What are the routes of transmission from vectors?
Faeces, saliva, coxal fluid, regurgitation, active penetration through proboscis.
How do soft ticks transmit borrelia?
Thorugh coxal fluid and saliva. The function of the coxal fluid is to anchor the tick during the blood meal.
Where in the sandfly does leishmania development occur?
Limited to the mid and foregut. However some species reside in the hindgut but these are not considered medically important.
What is the function of the stomodial valve?
Squeezes the meal into the midgut.