Lecture 04 - Leishmania

Question 1

What causes leishmania

Answer 1

a single celled organism of the genus leishmania belonging to the family trypanosomatidae

Question 2

What are the reservoires of leishmania

Answer 2

canines, rodents, humans

Question 3

What is the vector of leishmania

Answer 3

the female sandfly

Question 4

What is the disease manifestation caused by

Answer 4

partially due to the parasite, but also the presence of an RNA virus in the parasite and the immune response

Question 5

What is unique about the leishmania life cycle

Answer 5

no sexual stage has been identified

Question 6

What causes cutaneous or mucocutaneous leishmaniasis

Answer 6

L. major, L. tropica, L. aethiopoca

Question 7

What caues visceral leishmaniasis

Answer 7

L. donovani, L. infantum

Question 8

What is the parasitic stage of leishmania in mammals

Answer 8

amastigotes

Question 9

What is the parasitic stage of leishmania in sanfly

Answer 9

promastigotes

Question 10

How to leishmania ensure a high level of parasitemia

Answer 10

they form a blockage in the sandfly gut so it doesn’t feel hungry, once there is lots of them the plug breaks, the sandfly feeds and the parasite is transmitted

Question 11

What are risk factors for leishmania

Answer 11

poor rural housing conditions, poor sanitation, lack of accessible medicines, conflict, HIV

Question 12

What is the differentiation in the insect form of leishmania

Answer 12

increased surface glycoprotein GP63, flagellated, prefer alkaline pH, prefer high glucose concentration

Question 13

What is the differentiation in the human form of leishmania

Answer 13

decreased GP63, rudimentary flagella, prefer acid pH, prefer sparse glucose concentration

Question 14

What is GP63

Answer 14

a zinc proteinase found on the parasite membrane and aids in the internalization of promastigotes

Question 15

What do parasites use the macrophage for

Answer 15

they bind to the cell and use it as a replication vessel by internalizing, eventually they get too full and the macrophage bursts which causes a type of immunosuppression allowing further spread of infetion

Question 16

What is LCL

Answer 16

local cutaneous, well defined round painless ulcer with raised edges and a central crust (can develop to a granuloma)

Question 17

What is DCL

Answer 17

diffuse cutaneous, subcutaneous noduls that do not usually ulcerate

Question 18

What is disseminated cutaneous

Answer 18

10-300 pleomorphic lesions in >2 sites on the body

Question 19

What is mucocutaneous

Answer 19

upper respiratory tract mucosa commonly affected, destruction of walls of oral-nasal and pharynfeal cavities

Question 20

What is visceral

Answer 20

systemic, most severe case, if not treated they die

Question 21

What is PKDL

Answer 21

post kala-azar disseminated, granulomas that appear after treatment of visceral

Question 22

What makes leishmania even worse

Answer 22

HIV

Question 23

Why is it hard to diagnose leishmania

Answer 23

it mimics many things, invasive biopsies are required to get a good sample, molecular techniques are good but not practical in effected areas, antibodies are not always present

Question 24

What is the treatment of leishmania

Answer 24

cleaning of lesions, treatment of secondary bacterial infections, reconstruction of damaged tissues, antimony compounds