Urogenital Parasites Flashcards
What are the two important urogenital parasites?
Toxoplasma and Neospora.
Outline the lifecycle of Toxoplasma
FH = Cat. IH = Sheep/human etc. Cat can also infect cat. Infection due to oocyst in faeces, then can eats IH or ingests oocyst.
What is the important toxoplasma species?
Toxoplasma gondii
How would you recognise toxoplasma infection in the intermediate host?
Tissue cysts containing Bradyzoites. Tachyzoites invade the tissue.
What is important about the epidemiology of Toxoplasma?
Cats only shed oocysts for 2-3 weeks, but it can reoccur if immunity wanes.
Why is Toxoplasma significant?
If sheep becomes infected during pregnancy, it leads to neonatal death or abortion.
What is Neospora? Important species? What are it’s hosts?
Tissue forming Coccidia, species = Neospora caninum. FH = Dog. IH = cattle and others.
Why is Neospora significant?
Commonest cause of abortion in cattle.
How can you tell the difference between Toxoplasma and Neospora cysts?
Neospora cysts have a thicker wall, and are more common in the CNS than muscle.
