lecture 17- protozoa, giardia and entamoeba Flashcards
what is giardia lamblia?
an intestinal protozoan parasite of vertebrates and is a significant global cause of endemic and epidemic diarrhea
giardia lamblia is the most common …
enteropathogen worldwide
what area of the body does the giardia spp infect?
the duodenum and small intestine
what group of people is giardia infection most common in?
children
where does giardia infection most commonly occur?
streams, lakes mountain resorts, reservoir animals such as beavers and muskrats perpetuate the infectious cycle
how does transmission of giardia infection occur?
ingestion of cysts through contaminated water
what are the two cycles that occur in the transmission of giardia?
the domestic cycle (domesticated animals) and the sylvatic cycle (wild animals)
how many humans are asymptomatic with giardia infection?
50%
giardiasis is acquired through
- the consumption of inadequately treated water
- ingestion of uncooked vegetables and fruits
- person-person spread
what is the main reservoir host of giardia?
humans
what are the two life stages of giardia?
trophozoite and cyst
what are cysts responsible for in the life cycle of giardia?
transmission
where can cysts and trophozoites be found
feces
what is the morphology of the trophozoite?
- heart shaped and symmetric,
- contains a large concave ventral disk on the anterior ventral surface
- has 4 pairs of flagella originating from the basal bodies located near the nucleus
- median bodies are unique to the giardia cell
- virus and bacteria found in the cytoplasm (possible endosymbionts)
why is the trophozoite an unusual eukaryote?
- 2 nuclei with central karyosomes
- absence of functional mitochondria
- altered golgi apparatus
- ventral disk
- median body
what is the trophozoite’s ventral disk made of?
- made of a complex of microtubules and fibrous structures and serve as organelles of attachment
- the structure is rich in tubulin, giardin
what is the cyst wall of giardia made of?
composed of fibrous components containing polymers of galactosamine and proteins
when does the cyst of giardia form?
when trophozoites become dehydrated when they pass through the large intestine
what are the giardia cysts resistant to?
chlorine
what happens once cysts are ingested?
they release trophozoites
what do released trophozoites do?
multiply and encyst in intestines, then excreted in feces
under what conditions do cysts survive well under?
- survive well in cool, moist conditions
- remain viable for months in cold water
- can also survive freezing
what are giardia cysts susceptible to?
- dryness and direct sunlight
- boiling
populations affected by giardia?
- children
- travelers, hikers
- swimmers
how are giardia infections resolved?
they usually resolve spontaneously
… animals are most affected by giardia
young animals, usually not life threatening
what is the pathology of giardia?
- can be acute or self limiting or chronic
- infection can be asymptomatic or the cause of a severe enteropathy with malabsorption
- absorption decreases due to villus blunting causing malabsorption
- malabsorption is the characteristic of the pathology in giardiasis
what are the characteristics of one’s stool when infected with giardia?
stools may be profuse and watery and later become greasy and foul smelling
stools do not contain….
blood, mucus, or fecal leukocytes