Parasitic Infections Flashcards

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1
Q

What is an organism that lives on or in a host organism and gets its food from or at the expense of its host?

A

parasite

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2
Q

What are the different types of parasites?

A
  • endoparasites
  • ectoparasites
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3
Q

What are different endoparasites?

A
  • protozoa
  • helminths (worms)
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4
Q

What are examples of ectoparasites?

A
  • ticks
  • fleas
  • lice
  • mites
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5
Q

What is Rocky mountain Spotted Fever caused by?

A

either the dog tick or wood tick

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6
Q

Where are parasitic infections, especially those that cause diarrhea common?

A

low- and middle-income countries

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7
Q

Parasitic infections are highly associated with protozoal and helminth (1) infections worldwide

A
  1. gastrointestinal
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8
Q

Parasitic infections are a major cause of morbidity in many countries, primarily due to (1) and (2)

A
  1. poor water (and)
  2. food sanitation
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9
Q

Parasites have great differences in their structure, making them highly (1) and (2) often results

A
  1. antigenic
  2. severe diseases
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10
Q

What are some examples of what parasitic infections can cause?

A
  • diarrhea
  • widespread rashes
  • hemorrhage
  • organ failure
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11
Q

What are one-celled organisms that cause disease in humans?

A

protozoa

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12
Q

How do protozoa reproduce?

A

primarily through sexual binary fission (can be budding)

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13
Q

Where do protozoa flourish and multiply?

A

human tissues and organs

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14
Q

How can protozoa be transmitted?

A
  • fecal-oral route
  • vector bite (insect)
  • sexual contact
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15
Q

Protozoa are classified by their method of transport, which includes?

A
  • flagella or cilia may be present in some, but not all are motile
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16
Q

What activities occur in the trophozoite stage of protozoa?

A
  • organism is active and feeding
  • able to gather nutrients from its host
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17
Q

In the trophozoite stage of protozoa, they are able to gather nutrients from its host through what?

A

lumen of GI tract

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18
Q

What occurs as protozoa forms a thick wall to protect it from harsh environments as it moves through the body?

A

encystation

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19
Q

What stage becomes the “hardier” stage where protozoa can survive more easily?

A

cyst (formation of cyst-encystation)

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20
Q

When a protozoa is in the cyst stage, protozoa become what and what does that mean?

A

hardy - can survive extremes in temperature and severe environments

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21
Q

At what stage do protozoa have little need for nourishment, such as oxygen or water requirements?

A

the cyst stage

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22
Q

At what stage allows protozoa to evade our immune response and to survive longer?

A

the cyst stage

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23
Q

At what stage allows protozoa to exist outside of their dependent host?

A

the cyst stage

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24
Q

Many protozoal infections cause what?

A

diarrhea (fecal-oral) route

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25
Q

Where are you less likely to find parasitic infections?

A
  • in the US
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26
Q

What are the risk factors for diarrhea related to protozoan infection? (when to test)

A
  • travel to endemic countries
  • drinking untreated water, even while hiking in the US
  • swimming in poorly treated public pools where diarrhea has been present
  • working with animals or on a farm
  • exposure in daycare
  • handling or playing
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27
Q

After how many days of persistent diarrhea should you test for parasites?

A

after 7 days

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28
Q

What is a flagellated protozoan that causes vaginitis and cervicitis and is acquired through sexual contact?

A

Trichomonas vaginalis

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29
Q

What is a protozoal infection that can cause fever, myalgias, and fetal consequences and is acquired through contact with cat fecal matter?

A

Toxoplasma gondii

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30
Q

What protozoal infection causes Chagas disease, is acquired through bite of a reduviid bug “kissing bug” and causes multi-organ consequences, including possible sudden cardiac death?

A

Trypanosoma cruzi

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31
Q

What does plasmodium falciparum cause?

A

malaria

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32
Q

How is plasmodium falciparum acquired and where does it live?

A

through mosquito bile in specific countries (lives in the saliva of a mosquito)

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33
Q

What causes fever, chills, headache, severe pain, other symptoms, and infection and rupture of erythrocytes in humans?

A

P. falciparum

34
Q

What is a protozoal infection acquired through water, such as when a person has water forced into the nose (waterslides, jet skis, diving)?

A

Naegleria fowleri

35
Q

What protozoan migrates through olfactory nerves resulting in meningoencephalitis, fever, stick neck, and mental status changes?

A

Naegleria fowleri

36
Q

Naegleria fowleri is (1) fatal

A

99%

37
Q

What are multicellular organisms causing disease in humans?

A

helminths

38
Q

What are able to withstand stresses of GI tract due to structures that prevent its destruction?

A

helminths

39
Q

Where does reproduction of helminths typically occur?

A

in soil, water, plant, or arthropod/animal (some are unable to reproduce in human host)

40
Q

What can helminths exist as?

A
  • eggs
  • larval stage
  • adult worm
41
Q

How can helminths be transmitted?

A
  • contact with soil contaminated with fecal matter
  • ingestion of food or water contaminated by helminths
  • via an arthropod or molluscan vector
42
Q

Helminths have a preference for what climates?

A

warm climates

43
Q

What flourishes in areas where sanitation or water is inadequately treated?

A

helminths

44
Q

What is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in countries where sanitation or water is inadequately treated?

A

helminths

45
Q

What can produce none, mild, or severe disease?

A

helminths

46
Q

What population of people are at greatest risk with helminths due to them competing for nutrition and absorption of the GI tract?

A

pediatric patients

47
Q

What worms compete for vitamin A?

A

roundworms

48
Q

Presence of worms can cause (1)

A

appetite loss

49
Q

What can cause reduced nutrition plus small blood loss leading to:
- mild to profound anemia
- decreased growth rate
- intellectual deficits

A

helminths

50
Q

What is Enterobius vermicularis commonly known as?

A

pinworms

51
Q

What is the most common helminth infection in the US?

A

pinworms (Enterobius vermicularis)

52
Q

How are pinworms (Enterobius vermicularis) transmitted?

A
  • fecal-oral route
  • spread via contact with infected person, their clothes, bedding (fomite)
53
Q

Who do pinworms (Enterobius vermicularis) typically affect?

A

childrent

54
Q

What causes children to have anal pruritis that worsens at night due to females migrating at night to deposit thousands of eggs in the area?

A

pinworms (Enterobius vermicularis)

55
Q

Upon bite, this type of parasite can transmit parasitic organisms during feeding to the human?

A

vector bites (ectoparasites)

56
Q

What are some vector-related infections?

A
  • dengue virus
  • zika virus
  • west nile virus
  • malaria
  • lyme disease
  • rocky mountain spotted fever
57
Q

What infection do plasmodium species cause?

A

malaria

58
Q

What infection does Borrelia burgdorferi cause? (deer tick)

A

lyme disease

59
Q

What infection of Rickettsia risketsii cause? (dog or wood tick)

A

Rocky mountain spotted fever

60
Q

What condition is acquired through the bite of the Aedes aegypti mosquito and causes severe symptoms in 15% of those who develop?

A

yellow fever

61
Q

What can cause:
- severe liver dysfunction resulting in jaundice and scleral icterus
- hemorrhage
- organ failure

A

yellow fever

62
Q

What is the mortality rate of yellow fever in those with severe symptoms?

A

20-50%

63
Q

What does diagnosis of parasitic infections require?

A
  • thorough history of risk factors, such as travel and drinking untreated water
64
Q

In medicine, the best way to identify parasitic infections is via (1)

A

microscope visualizations

65
Q

What can be done in some cases, such as malaria, to visualize the organism when it is known to be present in blood?

A

blood smears

66
Q

What may allow for identification of the specific species of malaria?

A

blood smears

67
Q

What type of smears are done in blood smears?

A

thick and thin smears

68
Q

What can you order when testing for parasitic infections, but it only grows out bacteria on the specialized agar plates?

A

stool culture

69
Q

What must you order when testing for parasitic infections in cases of diarrhea where there is possible exposure to parasitic organisms?

A

stool for ova and parasites (stool O & P)

70
Q

What are some indications for testing for parasitic infections?

A
  • diarrhea that is prolonged or bloody
  • +/- fever
71
Q

What are the pros of testing for parasitic infections in stool?

A
  • unique and specific testing that provides an accurate diagnosis
72
Q

What are the cons of testing for parasitic infections in stool?

A
  • may require several samples if the protozoal count is low or not seen on sample provided
73
Q

When testing for parasitic infections, what might be elevated on a CBC if there is an infection?

A

eosinophil count

74
Q

Typically, eosinophil count is only elevated when?

A

infection is severe or organ-invasive (can also depend on species of parasite involved

75
Q

Some vector borne diseases require us to check (1) created against the organism?

A

own antibodies

76
Q

Checking your own antibodies for parasitic infections is more helpful when the organism is what?

A
  • “buried” in deep tissue
  • not visualized or accessed in stool or blood
77
Q

What type of test is available for testing for parasitic infections that is a specific test created that test positive through identification of an antigen is present on the parasite?

A

specific antigen testing

78
Q

Depending on the organism suspected, antigen testing can be through (1) or (2)

A
  1. blood
  2. fecal matter
79
Q

Specific antigen testing for Plasmodium species is through?

A

blood

80
Q

Specific antigen testing for Giardia lamblia, Cryptosporidium sp., and Entameoba histolytica is through?

A

stool