The Flagellates

Question 1

General Characteristics

Answer 1

1. Free living
2. Inhabit the GI tract, atria, bloodstream and tissues
3. Extensive role in human disease

Question 2

Trichomonas vaginalis

Answer 2

Reservoir- human Urogenital tract
Pathogen of the reproductive tract that causes STD called trichomonoiasis
Symptoms:
Female creamy discharge, tenderness, edema
Male asymptomatic ,majority of carriers
Transmission: sexual intercourse
No protective cyst , can be detected in urine
Treatment: metronidazole

Question 3

Trichomonas tenax

Answer 3

Small and resides in oral cavity (5-10%)

Normal flora and opportunist pathogen

Question 4

Giardia Lamblia

Answer 4

Most common intestinal flagellate parasite isolated in clinical specimens in USA and most common type of parasite that pollutes drinking water ( Travler’s Diarrhea)
Reservoir: human and animals
Ingested cysts- excyst in the duodenum after 24 hours and trophozoides will travel to the jejunum where they feed and multiply
Asymptomatic in 30% of infected patients
Smiley faces in feces
Treatment:
Quinacrine and Metronidazole

Question 5

Dientamoeba fragilis

Answer 5

Causes some diarrhea 
Lives in cecum and colon and does not form cyst 
trophozoites can be identified and have TWO nuclei and no flagella .. they move with pseudopod
Symptoms:
Asymptomatic usually 
Treatment:
idoquinol and tetracycline 
Transmission uncertain

Question 6

Hemp- Flagellates

Answer 6

1. Leishmania
2. Trypanosoma
   Both are spread by blood sucking vectors
   Both are obligate parasite that causes zoonotic diseases
   Both have tropical species that are rare un US
   Both can be identified in tissue lesion
   Both have complicated life cycle

Question 7

Leishmania./ leishmaniasis

Answer 7

Transmitted by Phlebotomine (sand fly)
50 species of sand fly can serve as reservoir
Humans are accidental hosts

Question 8

Leishmania tropica

Answer 8

Occurs in Mediterranean, African, Indian regions
If macrophage remained fixed- infection. Remains localized
If infection migrates - systemic disease3 occurs
Infection usually remains localized on skin of forehead and causes cutaneous leishmaniasis( sore, boil)
Ulcers moist and short vterm in rural area
Ulcer is dry and long term in urban area
Treatment :
Antimony and amphotericin

Question 9

Leishmania Mexicana

Answer 9

Occurs in Latin America same characteristics as tropical

Question 10

Leishmania braziliensis

Answer 10

Occurs in central and south America
Infects the muccocutaneous tissues (oral and nasal cavity )
Red itchy lesions that spreads along lymphatic
Self-healing
disfiguration of nose, ear
Treatment: antimony and amphotericin

Question 11

Leishmania Donovani

Answer 11

Occurs in north Africa and east Africa, Asia, Mediterranean and south America
Long incubation period(2-18 weeks)
Short term- pimple at bite
Symptoms:
Malaria like chills and fever
Hyperplasia of tissue and organ and progressive anemia
Most deadly form- Kala-azar (dumb dum fever) 75-95% fatal)
Treatment :
Antimony and pentamidine isethionate

Question 12

Trypanosoma general characteristics

Answer 12

Distinguished by their infective stage called trypomastgote - elongated spindle shaped cell with tapered ends and one flagella

Question 13

The two types of trypanosoma

Answer 13

1. trypanosome Cruz
2. trypanosome Brucei
   ( both have a biphasic life)

Question 14

trypanosome cruzi

Answer 14

Agent of the chaga’s disease - endemic to central and south America aka American trypanosomiasis

Question 15

What is the vector of trypanosoma cruzi

Answer 15

reduvid bug
Aka kissing bug or assassin bug
trophozoite will multiply in bug intestinal tract and the bug feces contain the parasite

Question 16

trypanosoma Brucei

Answer 16

Occurs in west and east Africa

There are two forms

Question 17

What are the two forms of trypanosoma Brucei

Answer 17

1. trypanosoma rhoesiene

2. trypanosoma gamiense

Question 18

trypanomsoma Brucei

Answer 18

East African sleeping sickness

Vector is adapted to woodland and lakefront area

Question 19

trypanosoma gamiense

Answer 19

West African sleeping sickness
Vector inhabits in the dense vegetation along rivers and forest
The vector is tsetse fly that its bites very painful

Question 20

Symptoms of trypanosoma

Answer 20

1. Lesion of bites usually seen in non African
2. Intermediate fever, headache and night sweat
3. Enlargement of spleen, liver
4. Joint pain
5. cns damage
6. Personality changes
7. Coma death

Question 21

Treatment of trypanosoma

Answer 21

Early phase- suramin

Late phase- melarsoprol