Protozoa - Cyst forming coccidia Flashcards
Toxoplasma gondii sporulated oocyst configuration
1 oocyst: 2 sporocysts: 4 sporozoites
Significance of Toxoplasmosis
Economic losses
Zoonosis
Abortions in humans and small ruminants
Systemic disease - involves CNS
Toxoplasma gondii
DH
IH
PPP
How long is patency?
DH = felid
IH = any warm blooded animal
PPP = 1 week
Patent for 1 month
Transmission of Toxoplasma gondii
Oral -> ingestion of oocysts.
Oocysts resistant in environment for up to 18 months
Ingestion of tissue cysts (raw / undercooked meat / unpasteurised milk)
transplacental and transmammary to foetus
Toxoplasma gondii site sexual replication
only in feline intestines
Where can asexual replication of T. gondii occur?
- feline intestinal epithelium
- In any nucleated cell in IH
What is a tachyzoite?
Rapidly dividing (schizogony) parasite that is moving around te body, penetrating tissues and causing damage
What is a bradyzoite?
Dormant stage in IH brain, heart or skeletal muscle, long lived cysts. Cysts develop as the host immunity increases.
Can differentiate into a sporozoite -> transmit infection when it is eaten.
T. gondii lifecycle
Oocyst excreted from cat -> sporulation ->
ingestion by IH -> schizogony and tachyzoite formation -> bradyzoite formation as host immunity increases -> ingestion by felid.
OR
-> transmammary/tranplacental infection of kittens -> large amounts of oocyst secretion (20 million in 10-21 days) - kitten develops immunity and reinfection is rare
What happens if a previously immune animal with bradyzoites becomes immunocompromised (HIV, FeLV, FIV)?
Bradyzoites -> tachyzoites -> disease
Won’t get shedding of oocysts as the tachzoite will not go back into the intestines
Pathogenesis of T. gondii
- acute infection in naive host
- re activation of latent infection of immunocompromised animal
- > tachyzoites multiply and destroy tissue. Muscle will regenerate but nerves may not.
- can cause abortion, stillborn or congenital abnormalities if T. gondii is acquired durring pregnancy
- if she is infected prior to pregnancy the immunity is passed on to the foetus
Toxoplasmosis in cats
Intestinal - self limiting diarrhoea
- systemic disease
- pyrexia and multi systemic disease
- CNS, hepatic necrosis -> jaundice, uvetitis, interstitial pneumonia
Toxoplasmosis in dogs
- neurological
- gastrointestinal
- respiratory signs
+- ocular signs
Public health significance
majority asymptomatic
- 1/3 exposed
- mild flu like symptoms - fever, sore throat, weakness
High infectious dose in outbreak -> chorioretinitis
HIV-AIDS / organ transplant patients -> 10-30% fatality from latent or newly aquired infection. Encephalitis, pneumonia, ocular disease
Pregnant women risks
- Life-long immunity once exposed -> protect against vertical transplacental transmission unless immunocompromised
- if infection contracted during pregnancy -> may be transmitted to foetus