Parasitic diseases Flashcards
WHat are parasites?
Three kinds?
Organisms that infect and cause disease in other animals
Protozoa, Helminths, and Arthropods
How are protozoa transmitted?
3
How is indirect transmission accomplished?
Most are mobile. How do they move?
3
Can be passed directly from host to host through
- sexual contact,
- by contaminated water, or
- through arthropod vector
Results from ingestion of highly resistant spores that are shed in feces of infected host (can also be direct)
Most are mobile by means of
- flagella,
- cilia, or
- ameboid motion
What are the worm like parasites?
How does transmisison primarily occur? 2
Infections can involve many organs such as?
What are the three main groups?
Helminths - Wormlike parasites
Transmission occurs primarily through the
- ingestion of fertilized eggs or the
- penetration of infectious larval stages through the skin
Infections can involve many organs:
- Liver,
- lungs,
- urinary and intestinal tract,
- circulatory and
- nervous systems, and
- muscles
3 main groups
- Flatworms (platyhelminths)
- Thorny-headed worms (acanthocephalins)
- Roundworms (nematodes)
Transmission from athropods can occur how? 2
What are the most common types? 5
Transmission from arthropod to human occurs either mechanically or biologically.
Most common
- flies,
- fleas,
- ticks,
- mosquitoes, and
- lice.
How do parasites affect the host specifically 3
How would death occur in a parasite infected host if it did?
The stress placed on the host’s resources can affect:
- its growth,
- ability to reproduce, and
- survival
Typically, a parasitic infection does not directly kill a host
This stress can sometimes lead to the host’s premature death
Host begins to feel ill as a consequence of what from the parasite? 2
In majority of parasite infections what ocurrs?
Multiplies and increasingly interferes with the normal life functions of the host.
Host begins to feel ill as a symptom of the parasite’s INVASION and ACTIVITIES.
In many cases, the host’s immune system may be able to respond to the parasite and destroy it.
Hosts for parasites might be what?
Host species may be
- animal (all types),
- insect
- May live only in water, or
- on vegetables
What are the types of protozoa? 4
What are the types of metazoa (helminths)?2
Sarcodina (amebas)
Sporozoa (sporozoans)
Mastigophora (flagellates)
Ciliata (cilliates)
Platyhelminthes (flatworms)
Nematheiminthes (roundworms)
What are the types of flatworms (Platyhelminthes)? 2
Trematoda(flukes)
Cestoda (tapeworms)
What kind of organisms are protozoa?
This group of organisms has historically been the cause of more disease and death than any other category of disease-causing organisms.
Two examples?
Single cell (unicellular) organisms
Malaria
African Sleeping Sickness
A term for the live adult protozoa
What are the non adult forms? 3
How are most of the diseases spread?
TROPHOZOITE
Cysts, spore, or “eggs” are non-adult forms
MOST OF THESE DISEASES ARE SPREAD BY THE FECAL-ORAL ROUTE
What protozoan causes giardiasis?
What does it infect?
2
Giardia lamblia, a flagellate, is a common pathogenic protozoan.
Infects duodenum and jejunum of humans.
GIARDIASIS: Epidemiology
How is it transmitted? 4
Humans are infected by ingestion of fecally
- contaminated water or
- food containing giardia cysts.
- It is also spread by direct person-to-person contact, which has caused outbreaks in institutions such as day care centers.
ORAL-FECAL TRANSMISSION
- (pets, rodents, livestock)
How long can giardiasis cysts survive?
When do symptoms occur after infection?
Describe their life cycle?
2
Cysts can survive in water for up to 3 months
takes up to 7-10 days for these cysts to open up and cause problems
Life cycle
2 forms
Cysts and trophozoites (can go back and forth because they cant survove out of the body in adult form)
Giardiasis pathology
Parasites attached to the bowel wall may cause irritation and low-grade inflammation of the duodenal or jejunal mucosa
What diagnostic test do we do for Giardiasis and what will it show us?
3
Biopsy of small bowel will show: 1. crypt hypertrophy 2. villous atrophy or 3. flattening epithelial cell damage
Giardias symtpoms?
4
- A large portion of infected patients are asymptomatic
The symptomatic forms are
- Acute diarrhea
- Chronic diarrhea
- Malabsorption syndrome
Giardiadas Presenting symptoms can be what? 6
Patients with chronic infection show what? 3
What will the stools look like?
How long will symptoms last?
- diarrhea,
- malaise,
- steatorrhea,
- abdominal cramps & bloating,
- flatulence,
- N/V, and weight loss
often experience:
- major weight loss,
- malabsorption, and
- depression
The stools may be
watery, semisolid, greasy, bulky, and foul-smelling at various times during the course of the infection
2-4 weeks
When does giardiasis typically encyst?
What will be found in the stool often in enourmous amounts?
As the parasites pass into the colon
Cysts are found in the stool—often in enormous numbers.
GIARDIASIS: WORK UP
2
- STOOL Sample-fecal smear
2. Examination of the duodenal contents
What are we looking for un a stool sample/fecal smear for giardiasis? 2
What does the diagnosis depend on? 2
How many stool examinations should be done?
What lab test has shown to be a specific and sensitive rapid diagnostic tool?
To look for “ova and parasites”
Depends on finding the distinctive cysts in formed stools, or cysts or the protozoa in liquid stools.
A series of three or more stool examinations on alternate days is therefore recommended.
Stool enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)
Why may examination of the duodenal contents be necessary to establish the diagnosis?
as cyst production may be sporadic and not found in the stool by an ovum and parasite fecal smear examination.
GIARDIASIS: Treatment
Two alternatives?
PT education?
Metronidazole (Flagyl) 250mg twice daily for 5 days will clear over 90% of Giardia lamblia infections.
Oral tinidazole and nitazoxinide are alternatives.
Could become lactose intolerant in infection
GIARDIASIS - PREVENTION?
3
Avoid contaminated water sources
Hikers or campers should boil water or use iodine or filtration with a large pore sized filter
Adequate disposal of diapers and frequent hand washing for daycare centers (does work in cyst form-hand sanitizers)