Parasitology I Flashcards
Enteric protozoa. What are the infective and active forms? Where can they be acquired from and when?
Found in our gut due to contaminated food or water. Not normal flora.
Cysts are the infective form - smaller, stable, can be transmitted.
Trophoziotes are the active form - cause symptoms.
Acquired from foreign travel and domestic camping. Long incubation period.
How are enteric protozoa diagnosed?
Stool tests. 3 to 5 stool specimens must be negative to rule it out.
Is a protozoa a euk or prok?
Euk, unicellular
What is most likely to cause traveller’s diarrhea?
When is the exception to this?
- Bacteria (85%)
- Parasitic (5-15%)
- Viral (<5%)
HOWEVER: if a bunch of people on a trip get diarrhea all at once, it is more likely that it is viral.
What are the three most common causes of traveller’s diarrhea? Which of the three is the most common?
- Giardia intestinalis (most common)
- entamoeba histolytica
- dientamoeba fragilis
What type of enteric protozoa is also known as “beaver fever”?
Giardia intestinalis (lamblia). Has very small cysts. Non-invasive. Resistant to chlorination, iodination is more effective. Residual lactose intolerance.
What is interesting about Dientamoeba fragila?
There is no cyst form. Only a trophozoite form. How is it infectious? By transmission on pinworm eggs. All people have had this before. 4 “teardrops” together in the cell. Non-invasive. Foul smelling.
What is a key symprtom of entamoeba histolytica?
Nondysenteric - alternating constipation and diarrhea. Invasive and may lead to systemic spread, causing amebiasis (colon ulceration). This can cause systemic spread to the liver, brain and lungs. NOT foul smelling. amoeba sera test = positive.
Cryptosporidium parvum.
Non-travel associated enteric protozoa. Very very infectious. Only 10 oocytes needed. Farm run-off, swimming pools, and splash parks. Found in animals and birds. Self-limiting unless immunocompromised. 10-20 bowel movements per day for the rest of your life. Stains acid-fast.
OOCYSTS
Cyclospora cayetanensis
Non-travel associated enteric protozoa. Associated with imported fruits from tropical locations. Long symptoms. Stains acid-fast.
OOCYSTS
What percentage of people with malaria will die?
1/3
What are the five types of enteric protozoa?
TRAVEL ASSOCIATED
- giardia intestinalis
- entamoeba hystolitica
- dientamoeba fragila
NON-TRAVEL ASSOCIATED
- Cryptosporidium hominis and parvum
- Cyclospora cayetenensis
How is malaria transmitted?
Anopholes species. Much larger than regular mosquitos. Bite at a 45 degree angle with lifted rear legs. Dusk to dawn biters. Attracted to heat and carbon dioxide. Only females bite, only females sing. Need a blood meal to reproduce. Fill by blood pressure.
What causes the periodicity of the fever in malaria?
48-72 hour fever that occurs like clockwork. This cycle is caused by a mosquito regurgitating saliva into the human bloodstream. Enters the liver quickly. Forms a schizont (cyst full of merozoites). Merozoites are released and infect RBCs, feeding on heme. Go through a cycle that keeps forming schizonts and subsequent merozoites.
What is the definitive host of Malaria?
An anopheles mosquito (reproduces there sexually = better)
Human is an “accidental host” (reproduces asexually = not better)
What are the five species of plasmodium? What do they cause?
- Plasmodium malariae
- Plasmodium knowlesi
- Plasmodium falciparum
- Plasmodium vivax
- Plasmodium ovale
They all cause malaria
P. vivax
Schüfners stippling, granular cells. Prefers young RBCs. The red blood cell becomes grossly enlarged.
Does not make “little delicate rings” instead big blobby amoeboe forms of the parasite.
What is characteristic about P. falciparum?
Delicate ring forms. The uninfected red blood cells are normal in size and texture.
How can you protect yourself from malaria?
Deet repellent, bednets, screens and air conditioners, anti-malarial medications
How do mosquito repellents work?
Not by smell. Forms a film on the skin that penetrates cuticle (skeleton). Confuses mosquito so they forget why they landed. They leave without biting.
Toxoplasma gondii
Many people are infected but asymptomatic. Can cause myocarditis (sudden death). NEONATAL INFECTIONS: Occasionally encephalitis, hydrocephalitis,
microcephaly (no frontal cortex development).
IN IMMUNOCOMPROMISED HOSTS: retinochorioditis
Raw meat. only tachyzoite form is active.
How are taxoplasma gondii infections acquired?
By consumption of raw meat
What can cause retinochoroidits in immunocompromised individuals?
Toxoplasma gondii, tachyzoite grows in the back of the eye and causes blindness
What are the two types of toxoplasma gondii?
- Bradyzoite - slow-growing and cystic
- Tachyzoite - fast-growing - active form that produces inflammation and tissue damage
How can toxoplasma gondii affect the frontal lobes?
By causing increased ventricle size and cysts of the frontal lobes, affecting motivation and anxiety. hydrocephalitis or encephalitis
What is the definitive host of toxoplasma gondii?
The house cat, the ones that go outside and hunt raw meat. Stale cat feces are the hazards because the ova takes time to embryonate.
Pregnant women should be careful.
Also known as “sandfly fever” as the vector is a sandfly.
Leishmaniasis - sandflies are the vectors
How can you differentiate a sandfly from a mosquito?
They are smaller, and they fold their wings above them. Mosquitos fold their wings on their back. Hover at ground level.
What does a sandfly inoculate with Leishmaniasis?
Promastigotes, which transform into amastigotes in the cells of the Reticular Endothelial System (bone marrow, spleen and liver)
What makes up the RES?
the liver, spleen, and bone marrow
What are the three different types of Leishmaniasis?
L. tropica = cutaneous, Baghdad boil
L. braziliensis = subcutaneous
L. donavani = visceral = Kala azar
What is the cutaneous form of Leishmaniasis?
L. tropica - “Baghdad” sores, may also look like leprosy
PUNCHED OUT leg ulcers
What is the mucocutaneous Leishmaniasis?
L. braziliensis - causes chiclero ulcers, and deterioration of the nasal septum
What may present as “punched out ulcers” or like leprosy?
Baghdad sores on lower legs from Leishmaniasis tropica - cutaneous
What causes kala azar?
Leishmaniasis donavani - visceral
What may cause chiclera ulcers?
Mucocutaneous L. braziliensis
What may cause deterioration of the nasal septum?
mucocutaneous Leishmaniasis braziliensis known as espundia
What are the three stages of mucocutaneous leishmaniasis braziliensis?
- Cutaneous
- Cicatrical (think chicklets) - causes scarring
- mucocutaneous espundia - deterioration of the nasal septum
Why does mucocutaneous leishmaniasis appear on the face and neck?
Harvesting chickle sap
What disease is the “great imitator”?
Syphilus
What happens in kala azar?
Visceral organs are infected. Infects RES. Spleen enlargement
What are the two types of trypanosomiasis?
T. cruzi (S.A. - chagas disease)
T. brucei (African - sleeping sickness)
from Pangaea splitting
What is the S.A. trypanosomiasis?
Chagas disease, caused by T. cruzi
What is the African trypanosomiasis?
T. brucei - sleeping sickness
What causes the 3 Cs?
From Chagas disease (Trypanosomiasis cruzi)
- Chagus
- Cruzi
- C-shaped
How is chagas disease transmitted?
Kissing bug - defecate when they bite around the eyes, gets rubbed in causing disease
Does chagas disease infect the RES?
NO! Heart and digestive system
What causes chagas disease?
Trypsonomiasis
Causes organomegaly
Leishmaniasis donovani - visceral - kala azar