Parasites Flashcards
Trypanasoma cruzi- spread
South America; reduviid (kissing bug) via feces in bite
Trypanasoma cruzi- presentation
Chagas disease: megacolon, dilated cardiomyopathy, and megaesophagus
Trypanasoma cruzi- diagnosis
Blood smear (acute), serology (chronic), heart biopsy (rare)
Trypanasoma cruzi- treatment
Nifurtimox
Giardia lamblia- spread
Water contaminated with cysts, fecal-oral route. “camping, hiking.”
Giardia lamblia- presentation
Affects small intestine. Bloating, flatulence, foul-smelling steatorrhea (or watery diarrhea)
Giardia lamblia- diagnosis
stool O&P (cysts), ELISA stool antigen test (usually required before stool O&P)
Giardia lamblia- treatment
Metronidazole. Furazolidone may be used in children.
Entamoeba histolytica- spread
Water contaminated with cysts, anal-oral route. “men who have sex with men.”
Entamoeba histolytica- presentation
Affects colon. Bloody diarrhea, “flask-shaped” intestinal ulcerations, liver abscess (usually right lobe; pus smells like “anchovy paste”), right upper quadrant pain, hepatomegaly
Entamoeba histolytica- diagnosis
Stool O&P (trophozoites with endocytosed RBCs), ELISA stool/serum antigen tests. Serology should only be used in cases of suspected invasion.
Entamoeba histolytica- treatment
Metronidazole and luminal agents (paramomycin, iodoquinol)
Cryptosporidium- spread
Oocysts (containing 4 motile sporozoites) released in water. Fecal-oral route. “campers, swimmers, etc.” Common in HIV/AIDS.
Cryptosporidium- presentation
Targets small intestine. Severe diarrhea in AIDS/immunocompromised patients. Mild watery diarrhea in immunocompetent patients. Sporozoites attach to intestinal wall- usually the small intestine but can also cause colitis.
Cryptosporidium- diagnosis
Acid-fast staining in stool, antigen test, demonstration in tissue
Cryptosporidium- treatment
Nitazoxanide (immunocompetent only), spiramycin (a macrolide; not FDA-approved)
How to rule out non-pathogenic Entamoeba dispar in favor of Entamoeba histolytica?
Phagocytosed RBC in the trophozoite (hard to tell in smear). Normally, use clinical findings.
Entamoeba histolytica cysts transform into trophozoites in what organ?
Ileum; primarily affects the colon
Entamoeba histolytica- stool O&P findings
Fulminant diarrhea will contain trophozoites. More formed stool (slower movement) may have more cysts.
Entamboeba histolytica- virulence
Chitin wall (temps up to 55’C, stomach acid, chlorine), proteinase (invasion), surface lectins (binding), channel-forming proteins (host cell lysis)
Giardia lamblia- other name
Giardia duodenalis
Giardia lamblia virulence
Lectin-based sucker disc
Crytosporidium- reservoir
Humans and some animals, like cows
Cryptosporidium- life cycle
Alternating asexual and sexual reproductive cycles. Oocysts exit via feces or may cause autoinfection.
Cryptosporidium- virulence
Lectin (binding), superficial invasion of cytoplasm (intracellular organisms, so no lysis)
Strongyloides stercoralis- reservoir
humans
Strongyloides stercoralis- location
Affects small intestine but may disseminate.
Strongyloides stercoralis- lifecycle/spread
They live in soil. Larvae penetrate the skin directly and travel to the lungs via circulation. They then climb up the respiratory tree and are swallowed. They mature in the small intestine and lay ova, which are excreted in the feces and hatch. Autoinfection is possible.
Strongyloides stercoralis- biology
Nematode. 2 forms of larvae: rhabditiform and filariform (infectious).