Parasitic diseases Flashcards
What is a parasite and what are some examples?
Parasite- organisms that infect and cause disease in other animals
protozoa, helminths, and arthropods
Protozoa
mobile or not?
transmission
- most are mobile by flagella, cilia, or ameboid motion
- direct or indirect transmission by fecal oral route, direct transmission through sexual contact or arthropod vector, and contaminated water
Helminths
transmission
what organs can it infect?
3 main groups
*wormlike
transmission- ingestion of fert eggs or penetration of infective larval stages through the skin (feet)
what organs can it infect? liver, lungs, urinary and intestinal tract, circulatory and nervous systems, and muscles
3 main groups-
- -flatworms (platyhelminths)
- -thorny-headed worms (acanthocephalins)
- -roundworms (nematodes)
Arthropods
common vectors
transmission
vectors- flies, fleas, ticks, mosquitoes, and lice
transmission- mechanically or biologically
Does a parasite directly kill its host?
No. the stress placed on the hosts resources can affect its growth, ability to reproduce, and survival. This can sometimes lead to death.
Parasitic Infectious process
- parasitic organisms attack a host and begins to multiply
- multiplication interferes with normal life functions of a host
- host begins to feel ill as a sx of parasite invasion
* most host immune systems are able to destroy parasite and are asymptomatic
Protozoa
multi or unicellular?
causes what deadly diseases
- unicellular
- malaria and african sleeping sickness
What is a trophozoite?
a term for the live adult protozoa
- cysts, spore, or “eggs” are non-adult forms
- most of these diseases are spread by the fecal oral route
Giardiasis
- what is is?
- infects what organ?
- transmission
- Giardia lamblia is a flagellated pathogenic protozoan
- infects the duodenum and jejunum
- oral-fecal route! Usually contaminated water or food, may be direct person to person contact (day care). Also infected by rodents, deer, cattle, sheep, horses, or household pets.
Giardiasis
-life cycle
cyst is the infectious form of parasite, excreted in the stool, survives in the atmosphere for a long time. Excyst in the small bowel where they open up, release 2 trophozoites that can adhere to mucosa or be free and cause irritation and low-grade inflamm of duodenal or jejunal mucosa, encyst once they get to the colon. (they form back into cyst form.) The cysts get flushed out into the stool. Sx appear in 1 week or more.
Giardiasis
- dx
- sx
- stool appearance
dx- If you can’t dind cyst in the stool, do biopsy
–bx will show: crypt hypertrophy, villous atrophy or flattening, epithelial cell damage
sx- asymptomatic, acute or chronic diarrhea, malabsorption syndrome
-malaise, steatorrhea (excretion of fat), abd cramps, bloating, flatulence, n/v, weight loss, depression
- stools may be watery, semisolid, greasy, bulky, foul-smelling (and contain cysts!)
- sx appear 7-14 days after infection and last 2-4 weeks
Giardiasis
- work up
- tx
- prevention
Stool sample-fecal smear- to look for ova and parasites
- a series of three or more stool examinations on alternate days is therefore recommended
- can do stool ELISA
Examination of duodenal contents may be necessary
tx:
- metronidazole (flagyl) 250mg twice daily for five days (both adults and children)
- could become lactose intolerant during infection and usually goes away after tx.
prevention:
- avoid contaminated water sources
- boil water or use iodine or filtration
- adequate disposal of diapers
- antibacterials are ineffective against cyst forms (wash your hands)
Cryptosporidiosis
- what is it?
- transmission
- what organ do the affect
- life cycle
- coccidian protozoan parasite (cryptosporidium hominis) which causes this disease
- contaminated water supply
- infect stomach or intestine, but can affect other areas (resp tract and conjunctiva)
- Ingestion of cryptosporidium contaminated water, adhere just under the lining of the stomach or intestine, release 4 sporozites, and cause cell death
What are the common causes of waterborne illness in the US?
Cryptosporidiosis and giardia
What is the infectious dose of cryptosporidium?
Incubation period?
less than 10 organisms but only need one to initiate because the reproduced asexually
-incubation period is 7-10 days
Crytposporidium sx dx tx prevention
sx-stomach cramps, pain, watery diarrhea, dehydration, vomiting, fever
severe sx- profuse watery diarrhea, severe malabsorption, electrolyte imbalance, and weight loss
dx-
- made by examining 3 stool specimens
- microscopy with acid fast
- Enzyme immunoassy
- PCR
tx-
-Nitazoxanide (adults and peds)
prevention
- water purification and filtration
- drink bottled water when traveling
- wash hands
- avoid swimming pools 2 weeks after diarrhea has resolved, otherwise you might infect the pool