Zoonosis from Carnivores

Question 1

Which of the following is NOT TRUE concerning T. gondii life cycle:

a. Cats are infected early, excrete oocyst for 1-3 weeks and then appear to recover
b. Cats excrete the immature oocyst
c. Oocyst sporulation takes 7-10 days in the soil
d. MO are initially infected in the IH
e. As immunity kicks in bradyzoites encyst in muscle and neurological tissue

Answer 1

c. Oocyst sporulation takes 1-5 days in soil

Question 2

How long must meat be frozen to ensure that the tissue bradyzoites are rendered non-infectious?

Answer 2

> 7 days. Also, cooking destroys them.

Question 3

T/F

T. gondii oocyst in soil are readily destroyed by disinfectants, freezing and drying.

Answer 3

False. They are very hardy. WASH AND COOK

Question 4

T/F.

T. gondii is just as severe in immunocompetent people as immunocompromised individuals.

Answer 4

False. They are usually asymptomatic in immunocompetent individuals.

Question 5

What do you tell a pregnant client that just acquired a kitten? Besides recommending she get an abortion.

Answer 5

Keep kitty indoors, no raw meat, don’t clean the litter box (let the deadbeat father do it), and keep the kitty off of the counter. Try to convince her to have that abortion.

Question 6

What is the term for diseases caused by migrating larvae in paratenic hosts.

Answer 6

Larval migrans

Question 7

What are some common roundworms in pets?

Answer 7

Toxocara canis, T. cati, and T. vitulorum

Question 8

Which of the following is NOT TRUE concerning Baylisascaris procyonis:

a. It is a raccoon roundworm
b. Larval migrans usually ocular or neurological
c. It may mimic Anthrax
d. It’s a potential bioweapon
e. Dogs can function as IH or FH

Answer 8

c. It may mimic RABIES not Anthrax

Question 9

Is the human the Definitive Host (DF) or the Intermediate Host (IH) for the following cestodes.

a. Echinococcus granulosus?
b. Taenia solium?
c. Dipylidium caninum?
d. Taenia saginata?
e. Echinococcus multilocularis?
f. Diphyllobothrium?

Answer 9

a. IH
b. DH and IH
c. DH
d. DH
e. IH
f. DH

Question 10

What is the reservoir for all species of Echinococcus?

Answer 10

Canids

Question 11

What is the causative agent for Hydatid Cyst Dz?

Answer 11

Echinococcus granulosus

Question 12

What is the causative agent for Alveolar Cyst Dz?

Answer 12

Echinococus multilocularis

Question 13

Which cyst disease can develop in the brain?

Answer 13

Hydatid Cyst Dz => causative agent, Echinococcus granulosus

Question 14

Humans become the IH for E. granulosus after ingestion of what life cycle stage?

Answer 14

The eggs!

Question 15

Cystic Echinococcosis is not endemic in the US but there are certain niches in which it can exist. What are these niches?

Answer 15

The sheep industry, Native Am communities in the west, Basque immigrants in Cali, and sylvatic cycle between wolves and moose (far northern US)

Question 16

Regular treatment with ___________ can help prevent Echinococcosis in dogs.

Answer 16

Praziquantel every 6 weeks

Question 17

T/F
Concerning Alveolar Cyst Dz, it can develop in the liver and lung, cysts can grow quickly, it is extremely destructive, and cysts are usually inoperable when discovered.

Answer 17

False.

Cyst grow slowly, ~10 years. Everything else is true.

Question 18

T/F

Fatality rate for those dx with Alveolar Cyst Dz is ~ 50-75% in the untreated patient.

Answer 18

True. Don’t get it.

Question 19

T/F.

There is no preventative treatment for E. multilocularis in the dog.

Answer 19

False.

Treat with antihelminthics twice yearly => leads to 13-50% decrease in AE cases in humans.