Mycology and Helminths - Robison

Question 1

Why are mycoses hard to diagnose?

Answer 1

Most of the time they are missed or misdiagnosed. Very few antifungal agents

Question 2

What is the one mycoses that is contagious?

Answer 2

dermatophytes

Question 3

What are the three categories of fungal diseases?

Answer 3

Allergies, Toxicoses, and Fungal Infections

Question 4

Describe characteristics of blastomycosis

Answer 4

Found in rich soils
Get from inhalation of spores or hyphae
Pulmonary blastomycosis is the most common in humans
Treatment is with amphotericin B

Question 5

Describe characteristics of coccidioidomycosis

Answer 5

Valley Fever
Fount in desert soil
Get from inhalation of arthrospores (asexual) which germinate into spherules
Often results in many pulmonary diseases, but can disseminate into skin conditions
Treatment is with amphotericin B

Question 6

Describe characteristics of histoplasmosis

Answer 6

Splunker's Disease
Found in moist soil containing droppings from bats and birds
Get from inhalation of spiny spores 
Can result in four types of disease
Treatment is with amphotericin B

Question 7

Describe characteristics of paracoccidioidomycosis

Answer 7

Found in farm workers in endemic areas 
Begins as a pulmonary condition
Dissemination always follows
Can get ulcers or "steering wheel" buds 
Treatment is with amphotericin B or with ketoconazole

Question 8

Describe characteristics of candidiasis

Answer 8

Most opportunistic fungal infection
One of very few fungi that can be transmitted
Can produce a wide range of diseases from superficial to deep such as thrush, diaper rash, ocular candidiasis, and onychomycosis, and oral candidiasis

Question 9

Describe characteristics of cryptococcosis

Answer 9

Opportunistic fungal infection
From inhalation of airborne spores from bird droppings
Has the ability to resist phagocytosis
Various diseases come from this: meningitis, mild pneumonia, cryptocoma
Treatment is amphoteracin B and 5-fluorocytosine

Question 10

Describe characteristics of pneumocystis jiroveci

Answer 10

Opportunistic fungal infection in AIDs patients
Can cause pneumonia
Treatment is with antiprotozoan drugs

Question 11

What is a helminth?

Answer 11

macroscopic, multicellular, eukaryotic worm

Question 12

What is the difference between dioecious and monoecious?

Answer 12

dioecious has female and male sex organs in separate organisms
monoecious only has both female and male sex organs

Question 13

Describe taenia

Answer 13

Tapeworms
Found in both cattle and swine
Contaminated through infected vegatation
Humans infected through undercooked meat or infected meat

Question 14

What is a scolex?

Answer 14

The attachment part

Question 15

What is important about the larva stage of most helminths?

Answer 15

Needs an intermediate host

Question 16

What are proglottids?

Answer 16

“eggs” of the parasite

Question 17

Describe taenia saginata

Answer 17

“Beef” Tapeworms
Humans are the only host
Attaches to upper gut
Treat with niclosamide or PTZ

Question 18

Describe taenia solium

Answer 18

“Pork” Tapeworm
Uncommon in humans
Can get cysticerci
Treatment is surgery, corticosteroids, or PTZ

Question 19

Describe echinococcus granulosus

Answer 19

Tapeworm of canines
Contains only 3 proglottids
Get infected by eating cysticeri in infected herbivore hosts
Humans are accidental intermediate hosts
Causes hydatid cysts

Question 20

What is a trematode?

Answer 20

Flukes
Lack complete digestive systems
Oral and ventral suckers allow to get nutrients from host

Question 21

Describe a schistosoma

Answer 21

Blood fluke
Dioecious 
most important trematode 
attack intact skin 
Migrate to intestine and bladder to release eggs in the host

Question 22

What is also known as snail fever?

Answer 22

schistosomaisis

Question 23

What are nematodes?

Answer 23

Roundworms that taper at the ends
Have complete digestive system and have a cuticle 
Dioecious 
Females longer than Males 
Parasites of almost all vertebrates
Have many reproductive strategies

Question 24

Describe Ascaris lumbricoides

Answer 24

Most common nematode infection in humans
Reproduce in the small intestine
LARGE
Migrates from the lungs to the small intestine and other organs
Can get pneumonia and asthma
Treatment is mebendazole

Question 25

Describe Trichuris Trichiura

Answer 25

Whip worm
Lives in the large intestine to the rectum
eggs to soil to mouth to intestine
Can cause dysentery, prolapsed rectum, anemia, growth retardation, tenesmus
Heavy infections are fatal

Question 26

Describe Necator americanus

Answer 26

Hook worms
Second most common nematode infection
Eggs hatch larva in soil, burrow into skin, migrate towards the heart and and lungs and settle in the small intestines
Treatment is albendazole

Question 27

Describe Enterobius vermicularis

Answer 27

Pin worms
Most common parasitic worm found in the US
Females lay eggs in the anus 
Intense perianal itching 
Fecal oral route from fingernails 
Treated with mebendazole

Question 28

Describe Wuchereria bancrofti

Answer 28

Causes elephantitis and filiariasis
Transmitted through female mosquitoes
Affects lymphatic system