Protozoan microorganisms Flashcards

1
Q

Parasites

A

1) Prokaryotic cells
Bacteria/Archea

2) Eukaryotic cells
Fungi (yeasts/moulds)
Parasites (protozoa/helminth, ectoparasites)

3) Acellular structures
(not made of cells)
Viruses
Prions

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2
Q

Define Parasite;

A

living eukaryote organism, which takes its nourishment and other needs from a host. Depends on the host for nutrition

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3
Q

ENDOparasites

A

nside of the host’s body - Permanently
Some anaerobes, some aerobes
Protozoa and helminths

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4
Q

ECTOparasites

A

ON the outer surface of the host’s body – temporary or permanent
Aerobes
Some ectoparasites serve as vectors of pathogens
ticks, fleas, lice, and mites

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5
Q

Endoparasites - Protozoa

A

Monocellular
Mostly asexual reproduction (most by binary fission), and sexual reproduction
some are non-motile, those motile use either flagella or cilia

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6
Q

Endoparasites (Protozoa vs helminths) - Helminths

A

Pluricellular, Parasitic worms (usually visible)
Sexual reproduction
Sexual reproduction

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7
Q

What are the general characteristics of protozoa?

A

Ranging in size - 2-100 μM

All protozoa are chemoheterotrophs
preformed organic substances
Similar requirements of the mammalian cells

Require HIGH moisture

Diverse oxygen requirements

Establish parasitic relationships with many hosts

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8
Q

Life Cycle Stages
Some protozoa (e.g. Giardia intestinalis, an intestinal protozoal parasite) exist in two morphological forms/stages:

A

1) Trophozoite
2) Cyst

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9
Q

1) Trophozoite

A

Motile, vegetative (active) form

Actively feed and multiply

Pathogenic form

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10
Q

2) Cyst

A

External, non-parasitic form

Possess a protective membrane or thickened wall (survival outside the host)

Means of transfer between hosts

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11
Q

Transmission of intestinal protozoa

A

Transmission of intestinal protozoa that live in a human’s intestine to another human typically occurs through a fecal-oral route

Contaminated food
Contaminated water
Domestic pets
Sewage/waste water

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12
Q

What is the process of intestinal protozoa?

A
  1. contamination of foods, water, hands with infective cysts
  2. cysts ingested

[cysts > trophozoites = Giardia mature and x in gut]

  1. infective cysts passed in stool / trophozoites are passed in stool but they do not survive in the environment
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13
Q

Medically relevant protozoa – motality classification

A

protozoan infections can be inapparent/mild in normal individuals, yet life-threatening in immunosuppressed patients (e.g. AIDS).

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14
Q

Classified by their motile form = portozoa

A

Amoebae - amoeboid movement (temporary extensions of the plasma membrane)

Flagellates - use flagella

Ciliates - use cilia

Sporozoa - Non motile, spore-producing protozoa

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15
Q

Amebae

A

Move by extending pseudopods
arm-like projection of the cell membrane

Engulf food with pseudopods and phagocytize
Entamoeba histolytica - feeds on red blood cells

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16
Q

Flagellates

A

Possess one or more flagella for locomotion and sensation

they incl.
Intestinal and genito-urinary flagellates (e.g. Giardia and Trichomonas)

Blood and tissue flagellates (Trypanosoma and Leishmania)

17
Q

Transmission of blood borne protozoa- Leishmania

A

Leishmania spp. parasitise - in mononuclear phagocytic cells

Leishmania protozoa - usually spread through the bite of infected sand flies

18
Q

Transmission of blood borne protozoa- step by step:

A

1) sandfly take a blood meal

2) Human - promastifotes are phacoytized by macrophages other types of monocular phygocytic cells

3) Promastigotes transform into amastigotes

4) Amastigotes multiply in cells of various and infect other cells

5) Sandfly takes a blood meal

6) Ingestion of parasitised cell

7) Amastigotes transform into promastigote stage in gut

8) Divide in gut and migrate to proboscis

19
Q

Leishmaniasis

A

Cutaneous leishmaniasis - affects the skin (skin ulcers)

Mucosal leishmaniasis - affects the mucous membranes of the nose and mouth, causing sores and destroying tissues

Visceral leishmaniasis - affects the internal organs, particularly the bone marrow, lymph nodes, liver, and spleen

20
Q

Trichomoniasis

A

Lower genital tract infections

Caused by infection of Trichomonas vaginalis

21
Q

Common sexually transmitted disease (STD)

A

Chlamydia, Gonorrhoea (bacteria)
Genital herpes, AIDS (viruses, i.e. HSV and HIV)
Various human papilloma virus infections

22
Q

Ciliates

A

Complex protozoa that move by cilia (hair-like organelles) distributed in rows or patches

23
Q

flagella in which cell? (hair like tail - swim)

A

Spermatozoa

Sperm cell

24
Q

Types of nuclei - ciliates:

A

Human apthogen - Balantidium coli

Transmitted through infected pigs
Also oral-fecal transmission

25
Q

Sporozoa - Do not have any locomotory extensions

A

Complex life cycles
Alternating sexual and asexual reproduction, also involving spores
Usually, they have more than one host (definitive and intermediate hosts)

26
Q

Sporozoa - Intracellular parasites

A

Cryptosporidium - diarrheal disease cryptosporidiosis
Cyclospora - intestinal illness
Toxoplasma – usually mild flu-like illnesses (humans are the intermediate host, cats are the definitive hosts). In pregnancy, Toxoplasmosis
Plasmodium species - malaria

27
Q

Plasmodium
= agent for malaria

A

the major and most deadly protozoa-causing

[4 species responsible – P. malariae, P. vivax, P. falciparum and P. ovale
P. falciparum causes the most severe disease and is the most common]

28
Q

Transmission of Plasmodium:

A

Spread to humans by the bite of female mosquitoes of the genus Anopheles
Blood transfusions
Mother to fetus

29
Q

Malaria

A

Around 250 million new cases and 1 – 2.5 million deaths each year

Endemic (disease constantly present at a constant level)

Acute febrile illness
Symptoms after 10-14 days from mosquito’s bite

Serious complications may occur
cerebral malaria
severe anaemia

30
Q

Malaria and Life Cycle of Plasmodium

A

1) Mosquito Anopheles bite

2) Sporozoites

3) Infected hepotocyte
Hepatic schizont
Ruptured schizont {all in liver}

4) Merozoites
early/ late trophozoite, blood stage

5) Gametocyte

31
Q

What is the vector of the protozoa that causes Malaria?

A

Female Mosquitos Anopheles

32
Q

Control of malaria - prevention, vaccine?

A

One vaccine (RTS,S) available showing modest efficacy, preventing about 30% of severe malaria cases

33
Q

Drugs to prevent malaria (prophylaxis, reducing the risk of malaria of 90%)

A

Atovaquone plus proguanil – started 1-2 days before the travel
Doxycycline (Vibramycin-D) – started 1-2 days before the travel
Mefloquine (Lariam) – started 2-3 week before the travel
Chloroquine and proguanil – started 1 week before the travel

34
Q

How many weeks do you have to take malaria tablets after leaving country?

A

4 weeks

35
Q

50% Diethyltoluamide (DEET),

A

Personal protection against bites (Insect repellents, covering clothes, nets)

36
Q

Antiprotozoal drugs

A
  • Unicellular eukaryotes = less easily treated than bacterial infections
  • most antiprotozoan drugs is not completely elucidated
  • antiprotozoal drugs cause serious toxic effects in the host (e.g. Mefloquine)
  • most are unsafe for pregnant women
37
Q

What are the Principles of microorganisms identification?

A
  1. Study growth of biochemical characteristics of isolated microorganisms - PURE cultues for bacteria, fungal cells, virus cultivation
  2. Immunologic tests - detected antibodies or microbial antigens/proteins = detect presence microbial protein/antigen in a sample using antibodies directed against the protein
38
Q

Molecular methods (detecting the specific genome of a certain microorganism)

A
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) based techniques allow amplification of a known gene of interest (based on unique sequence of nucleotide)
  • nucleic acid sequencing