Parasitology

Question 1

what is a parasite?

Answer 1

organism that lies in or on another species

Question 2

what is a host?

Answer 2

organism that is infected or fed upon by a parasite

Question 3

types of parasite transmission?

Answer 3

passive - doesn’t travel, host picks up

active - travels to host and attaches

inoculative - passed by another organism

Question 4

effects of parasites?

Answer 4

blood loss
hypersensitivity
toxicity 
secondary invasion 
disease transmission 
severe irritation

Question 5

parasite timeframes?

Answer 5

temporary - for food then leave

stationary - can spend whole life or move if struggling

permanent - must spend whole life

Question 6

parasite locations?

Answer 6

ectoparasite

endoparasite

Question 7

ectoparasite?

Answer 7

outside of body or just under skin

many = infestation

Question 8

endoparasite?

Answer 8

internal
extracellular - in tissue
intracellular - in cell
many = infection

Question 9

types of life cycle?

Answer 9

direct - one host

indirect - many different hosts

Question 10

lice?

Answer 10

have claws that grab hairs or feathers
have mouthparts for piercing skin, sucking blood and chewing
can live up to 30 days

Question 11

lice symptoms?

Answer 11

itching
eggs on fur or brushed off
sores on skin

Question 12

lice lifecycle?

Answer 12

direct

• feed and breed on host
• passed on by direct contact with the host

Question 13

fleas?

Answer 13

ability to jump
mouthparts for piercing skin and sucking blood
can live around 2-3 months

Question 14

fleas symptoms?

Answer 14

lump around bite - can lead to secondary infection

itching

Question 15

fleas life cycle?

Answer 15

direct
- feed and mate on host
pass by eggs falling off or jumping to close contact

Question 16

flies?

Answer 16

seek damp conditions and food

cause flystrike - contain enzyme that breaks tissues causing toxic effect

Question 17

flies symptoms

Answer 17

• maggots in fur/underskin
• fur loss
• open wounds containing eggs/maggots
• lethargic

Question 18

flies life cycle?

Answer 18

direct

• feed and mate on host
• passed flying onto contact with host or eggs fallen on ground

Question 19

mites?

Answer 19

single sac

mouthparts and legs to attach to skin and suck blood

Question 20

mites symptoms?

Answer 20

rash-like marks
itching
small lumps
swollen or blistered skin

Question 21

mites life cycle

Answer 21

direct

- spread through close contact or eggs in environment

Question 22

ticks?

Answer 22

carry lymes disease

single sac with legs and mouthparts

Question 23

ticks symptoms?

Answer 23

red spot or rash near bite
itching

lymes:

• fever
• painful or swollen joints
• lameness
• lethargic

Question 24

types of roundworms?

where?

Answer 24

ascarids - small intestine 
hookworms - small intestine
whipworms - small intestine (horse) large intestine (dog)
strongyles - large intestine (horses)
pinworms - anus (horses)

Question 25

roundworm symptoms?

Answer 25

diarrhoea 
vomiting 
intestinal blockage/potbelly
dull coat
lethargic

visible in faeces

Question 26

roundworms life cycle?

Answer 26

often direct
- live and mate on host

Passed by

• eggs in faeces
• eating infected animal (indirect)
• passed through mothers milk or placenta (indirect)

Question 27

Tapeworms?

Answer 27

type of flatworm

head - hooks and suckers that attach to intestine wall

chain - contain male and female tracts

Question 28

tapeworm symptoms?

Answer 28

vomiting
diarrhoea 
lethargic 
weight loss
dull coat

Question 29

tapeworm life cycle?

Answer 29

direct

• develop in small intestine
• chain becomes bag of eggs that break off
• pass in faeces

Question 30

flukes?

Answer 30

type of flatworm

parasitise a number of organs

• intestine
• bile ducts
• blood
• lungs

common in cattle and sheep

Question 31

fluke symptoms?

Answer 31

chronic coughing
difficulty breathing
bronchiectasis (permanent widening and scarring of the airways)
loss of appetite

Question 32

fluke life cycle?

Answer 32

indirect

• eggs in faeces into the ground
• mud snails ingest and release in different form
• grass take up
• livestock eat grass

Question 33

protozoa?

Answer 33

uni-cellular organisms

different species parasatise different tissue and organs
- eg intestine, liver, nervous system, blood

Question 34

protozoa symptoms?

Answer 34

depends on attack

eg
intestine - diarrhoea, vomiting
blood - aneamic,lethargic

Question 35

protozoa life cycle?

Answer 35

depends on attack

• indirect (digestion of infected animal or food)
• direct (close contact)

zoonotic

• raw or undercooked meat
• contaminated water or veg
• cat faeces