Protozoa Flashcards
What is one distinguishing feature between worms and protozoa in lab values?
Protozoa do NOT cause eosinophilia like worms do (helminths!)
What are the symptoms of giardia?
foul stools and steatorrhea, weight loss
Does chlorination kill giardia?
No
What form of giardia is responsible for causing disease?
The trophozoites. Ingestion of cysts–>trohpozoites
What is the diagnostic stage of giardia?
Trophozoites can be seen in the stool. They look like kites!
What is the disease course of giardia?
Usually self limited
In what scenarios can giardia become chronic?
IgA deficiency.
How do you treat giardia?
Metronidazole
How do you get crypto?
By drinking fecally contaminated water
How does crypto present?
Excretory, watery diarrhea
What is the infectious form of crypto?
cysts from feces
Where does crypto live inside the host
intracellularly– columnar epithelial cells
How do you dx crypto?
ACID FAST CYST–can also use immunofluorescence
How do you treat crypto?
Usually self limited. There’s no good drug!
–Nitazoxanide is an option
What stages does trichomonas vaginalis have?
It’s a protozoa that only has ONE stage–the trophozoite!
What is the presentation of trichomonas?
- FROTHY green purulent discharge
- Urethritis
- Prostatitis/infertility
- -ASYMPTOMATIC, but can increase HIV acquisition
How do you treat trichomonas?
metronidazole
How do you diagnose trichomonas?
Microscopy wet prep
- pap stain
- -Rapid EIA (molecular assay)
How can you get toxoplasma?
Cat litter (fecal cyst), uncooked meat (tissue cyst)
How does toxoplasma present? In AIDS?
mono, hepatitis, pneumonia, encephalitis (AIDS)
What does congenital toxo look like?
CNS and retinal disease/Fetal death!
How do you treat toxo?
pyrimethamine-sulfadiazine
How do you diagnose toxo?
SEROLOGICS. IgG tells you pt has been infected in the past. IgM tells you how recently.
In which populations do we worry about oxo?
Pregnant women and AIDS pts.
