Protozoa and Diseases

Question 1

What are protozoa?

Answer 1

• Single celled parasites

Question 2

What are the different types of protozoa?

Answer 2

• Ciliates
• Flagellates
• Amoeba
• Apicomplexans (Sporozoans)

Question 3

Describe ciliates

Answer 3

Have tiny hairs for locomotion

Question 4

Describe flagellates

Answer 4

Whip like flagellas to propel them in their movement

Question 5

Describe Amoeba

Answer 5

Movement is by pseudopodia

Question 6

Describe apicomplexans (sporozoans)

Answer 6

Gliding locomotion

Question 7

What is toxoplasma gondii?

Answer 7

-Zoonotic Disease caused by protozoa, which causes congenital defects, infections affecting cardiac muscle, brain lungs and the liver

Question 8

What is the transmission route for Toxoplasma gondii?

Answer 8

• Ingestion of oocysts in faeces

Question 9

What is tritrichomonas?

Answer 9

• A disease caused by protozoa in cats, which is hard to treat.
• Causes profuse watery intermittent diarrhoea

Question 10

What is giardia?

Answer 10

• A disease caused by protozoa and transmitted by contaminated water sources

Question 11

What are the clinical signs of giardia?

Answer 11

• Watery diarrhoea
• Vomiting
• Abnormal GI signs

Question 12

How is giardia diagnosed?

Answer 12

• Examination of faecal samples

Question 13

What does coccidia cause?

Answer 13

• Intestinal mucosa
• Watery diarrhoea
• Flatten villi, leading to poor absroption, weight loss and diarrhoea

Question 14

How is coccidia diagnosed?

Answer 14

• Faecal smear and staining with acid fast stain; the oocysts should stain red

Question 15

What is encephalitozoon cuniculi?

Answer 15

• A protozoan disease in rabbits

Question 16

What are the clinical signs of encephalitozoon cuniculi?

Answer 16

• Neurological disease
• Renal disease
• Ocular disease

Question 17

How is Encephalitozoon cuniculi treated?

Answer 17

• Panacur
• Hutch/run hygiene