Parasites (Patho) - Block 3 Flashcards
What the of pathogens are parasites?
Eukaryotic that lack a cell wall
Differentiate the 2 groups of parasites?
Ectoparasite: lives on skin and hair (lice, mites)
Endoparasite: lives in host (parasitic protozoa, parasitic helminths)
Common mode of entry for parasites?
- Oral
- Direct penetration through skin or surfaces
How can parasites be transmitted?
- Environmental contamination with feces
- Vector
- Sex
What are the pathogenicity facotors of parasites?
- Infectious dose and exposure
- Penetration of anatomic barriers
- Attachment
- Replication
- Cell and tissue damage
- Disruption, envasion, and inactivation
What is a definitive host?
Parasite sexual reproduction occurs (source of mature, adult parasite)
What is an intermediate host?
Host in which eggs or larval forms develop into larval or intermediate stages
What is a reservoir?
Source of parasite in the environment
What is a vector?
Agent capable of transmitting the parasite from one host to another (mechanical, biological)
Describe the structure of ectoparasites?
Arthromods with hard exoskeleton with segmented bodies
What are the types of ectoparasites?
- Mites
- Bed bug
- Fleas
- Lice
Describe the activity of mites?
Causes scabies by burrowing into stratum corneum and lays eggs -> intense itching and spreads by direct skin-skin contact
Describe the activity of bed bugs?
Feed on blood of people and animals while asleep -> hides in fabrics and mattresses -> irritation and itching from saliva
Describe the activity of fleas?
Detect mammal’s movement, body heat, vibrations -> feeds on blood then lays eggs
Describe the activity of lice?
Feed off human blood and spreads by person to person:
* Body, pubic, head
What are the general protozoa pathogens?
- Parasitize intestinal and urogenital tract
- Parasitize blood or tissues
What are the types of protozoa classifications?
- Flagellates
- Amobaes
- Sporozoans
- Ciliates
What are the characteristics of protozoa?
- Inhabit in water and soil
- Trophozoite is the vegetative or feeding form
- Some produce cysts
Describe the protozoa life cycle?
Differentiate the trophozoite and cyst phase?
Trophozoite:
* metabolically active
* motile
* Multiplies by binary fission
Cyst:
* passed in feces
* non motile
* resistant to hostile environment
* doesn’t multiply
What is giardia? Taget?
Flagellated protozoan parasite that targets the duoenal and jejunal epithelium
What are the stage of the giardia life cycle?
Trophozoite: feeding and pathology-causing stage, flagellated with suckers
Cyst: highly resistant wall allowing for survival outside of host, infective form
How is Giardia transmitted?
- Fecal oral
- ZOonosis
- Sexual transmission
How does a Giardia trophozoite infect a host?
- Attach to intestinal mucosa and feed on nutrients -> detaches and moves further down -> malabsorption of protein and fat -> fatty diarrhea and flatulence
Lab test for Giardia?
- Presence of cysts/trophozoites in stool
- NAAT
What is plasmodium and how is it transmitted?
Infects erythrocytes, grows in liver and RBCs -> malaria
Transmitted: vector (femal anopheles mosquito), vertical transmission, direct transmission