Lecture 22 - Parasites And Infections Flashcards
What is a general definition of parasite?
Any living form which is dependent on other living forms for survival, and causing some damage to the host
What are parasites used to describe?
Protozoa Helminths (worms)
What are 3 main types of parasites?
Protozoa
Helminths
Ectoparasites
What is a Protozoa?
Endoparasites (live inside the host body)
What is helminths (worms)?
Ascaris
Taenia
Hookworm
What is ectoparasites?
Live on the surface of the host
Fleas
Lice
Ticks
What are Protozoa?
Not easily defined as very diverse
Distantly related to each other
Belong to kingdom: Protista
All are unicellular eukaryotic organism
Habitats: all aqueous environment (incl soil and us)
Around 20.000 species described (most do not cause disease)
Where are Protozoa diseases common in?
Developing countries
Growing emerging threats in developed countries
What can Protozoa be classified by?
Their means of locomotion
Pseudopodia (Entamoeba histolytica)
Flagella (Trypanosoma)
Cilia (paramecium)
How does Protozoa reproduce asexually?
Binary fission: one cell splits into two
What is schizogony (schizont stage)?
Nucleus divides many times before cell divides
The single cell separates into daughter cells
How does some Protozoa reproduce sexually?
Fusion of gametes (e.g. plasmodium)
What do some Protozoa produce?
Cysts (Giardia, Entamoeba)
Protective capsule to resist unfavourable condition (ie:outside host)
What is Trophozoites?
Protozoa in feeding and growing stage
What are 3 forms of Protozoa disease?
Apicomplexa (SPOROZOA)
Amoebae
Archaezoa - Euglenozoa (FLAGELLATES)
What are examples of Apicomplexa?
Plasmodium species (malaria) Toxoplasma Gondi (toxoplasmosis) Cryptosporidium (diarrhoea)
What is an example of Amoebae?
Entamoeba histolytica (amoebic dysentery)
What are some examples of Archaezoa?
Giardia (diarrhoea, malabsorption)
Trypanosoma (sleeping sickness, Chagas)
Leishmania (Leishmaniasis)
Where are malaria found?
Endemic in parts of Asia, Africa, Latin America and Oceania
How much percentage of the world’s population live in areas where malaria is transmitted?
40%
What does WHO estimate?
212 million clinical cases per year
429,000 deaths in 2015 (sub-Saharan African - under 5 year old children)
50% reduction since 2000
What is malaria caused by?
Apicomplexa protozoan parasites belonging to the genus plasmodium
What are Apicomplexan parasites?
Non-motile
Obligate intracellular parasites
Characterised by complex set of organelles at tip of cell
What are 4 plasmodium species that cause malaria?
Plasmodium falciparum
Plasmodium vivax
Plasmodium malariae
Plasmodium ovale