fungi and protozoan diseases

for final :(

ringworm

either Tinea corporis, T. cruris (groin or jock itch), T. capitis (scalp), T. unguium (fingernails or toenails), Tinea pedis (athlete’s foot, can get secondary infection)

transmitted through contact of fomites/ unclean environments (gyms, communal showers)

treated with anitfungal drugs- but take many weeks for it to clear

candidiasis

candida albicans- part of normal flora in genitourinary tract and mouth, but is opportunistic (overgrows, causes infection)

treated readily, or maybe not even at all

thrush- newborns and adults, vaginitis, infect tissues

immunosuppressed people w/ AIDS are more prone to disease also diabetes and obese patients= systemic candidiasis

candida auris

serious infection in hospitals and hospitalized patients which enters through the bloodstream and travels through the body- sepsis. Antibiotic therapy, covid, and intravenous drug usage are all risk factors for this disease

resistant to antifungal drugs

special equipment used to identify it- PCR

vulvovaginal candidiasis

most caused by Candida albicans, opportunistic infection that can occur with uncontrolled diabetes, change in pH, hormone change, long term antibiotic therapy

occasional cases of NGU in men

lesions look like thrush, but produce more irritation- severe itching, yellow discharge

use of oral contraceptives and pregnancy- increase of glycogen in vagina

trichomoniasis

protozoan sexually transmitted disease affects mostly young, sexually active females

most common nonviral sti

in normal flora of male urethra and vagina- overgrow and cause an infection

many cases asymptomatic mostly in males, greenish discharge in women- coinfection w/ gonorrhea

can cause preterm delivery

coccidioidomycosis

Coccidioides immitis - common in southwest USA sometimes called valley fever

in tissues, it forms a thick walled body called spherule filled with endospores- can be used to identify the disease

enters through inhalation- spores- mild flu like symptoms or none at all but complications can occur like travelling to meninges or bones if patient is immunocompromised

histoplasmosis

resembles TB, Histoplasma capsulatum

endemic in central and eastern US soil from bird and bat droppings- fungal spores are inhaled, mature to a yeast like form

initially lungs but may spread to blood and lymph causing lesions in almost all organs of the body

survive and multiply in macrophages

pneumocystis pnemonia (PCP)

caused by yeast like fungus: Pneumocystis jirovecii and invades lung cells

in healthy people, little to no symptoms, but infants show symptoms of lung infection

prime indicator of AIDS in 1993 because of loss of immune defense allows for activation of latent infection

high fatality rate if not treated with antifungal agents

blastomycosis

caused by fungus: Blastomyces dermatitidis in soil around Great Lakes and Mississippi River Valley- entry through wound or inhalation of endospores

spores mature to yeast cells which can get into circulation via macrophages

systemic can lead to extensive tissue damage

aspergillosis

caused by fungus: Aspergillus fumigatus infects when spores inhaled found in decaying vegetation

compost piles are ideal for growth- farmers and gardeners exposed

can become invasive lung infection

causes problems for people with AIDS or immunocompromised

common in soil, long extensions in life cycle cause person to suffocate

giardiasis

Giardia duodenalis (intestinalis or lamblia) - things that are related to intestines and intestinal tract

flagellated protozoan that is able to attach to human intestinal wall

prolonged diarrhea disease

distinctive odor of hydrogen sulfide detected in breath or stools because it occupies so much of the intestinal tract

most outbreaks transmitted by contaminated water supplies- cysts ingested and go into small intestine where they mature and adhere to bowel wall via sucker disk

not killed by chlorination but with boiling

amebiasis (Amebic Dysentery)

spread mostly by ingested contaminated water or food by cysts of protozoan: Entamoeba histolytica

acute or chronic- feed on tissue of intestinal tract

invade intestinal mucosa and get into bloodstream

intestinal lining damage can cause fecal material to get into body cavity and cause peritonitis

not killed by normal chlorine concentrations

cyclosporiasis

more recently discovered protozoan disease: Cyclospora cayetanensis

oocysts are ingested in water or berries and lead to watery diarrhea, from human feces or birds

cryptosporidiosis

caused by protozoan in Cryptosporidium species

infection when ingested oocysts and mature in small intestine

causing severe diarrhea

largely spread through recreational and drinking water contaminated with the species, from animal wastes like cattle

visceral leishmaniasis

sand fly bite spreads protozoan which enters bloodstream, common disease in tropics

Leishmania donovani will lead to death if untreated

emerged as an important opportunistic infection associated with HIV

Macrophages ingest it but the organism can survive inside and continue to multiply within it

malaria

endemic in tropical areas- caused by protozoan Plasmodium carried by infected mosquitoes- female bites a human, ultimately affects the RBCs- goes into liver cells, RBCs rupture from matured merozoites

because of this changing cycle of the mosquito and human, a vaccine for this is difficult to get, as well as finding the stage of the organism that provides protection against the infection- but Mosquirix vaccine for children- protected for a limited time (longer than a year)

people with sickle cell are immune or protected against this disease because it cannot replicate in an altered RBC.

chagas disease (american trypanosomiasis)

caused by protozoan: Trypanosoma cruzi

endemic in South America and southern USA

spread by reduviid bug aka “kissing bug” bites near the lips- vector spread= faster spread

initial fever and swollen glands, but some go into chronic state. (20-30% of people)

damage to nerves controlling esophagus and peristalsis, damage to heart which occurs in 40% of chronic cases

pregnancy during chronic stage can result in congenital infections and pass to fetus

toxoplasmosis

disease of blood and lymphatic vessels caused by the protozoan: Toxoplasma gondii

found in feces of cats as oocysts and mature to trophozoites in host cells

can come from eating contaminated undercooked meat

causes mild symptoms or none at all in healthy individuals

danger is for newborns or for fetuses (congenital infection) as it causes stillbirth or brain damage, only when initial infection is acquired during pregnancy

causes problems for people with AIDS

cryptococcosis

Cryptococcus neoformans- fungi budding yeast

carried by birds, often inhaled by dry contaminated droppings or carried through the mouth

inhaled fungi multiply in people with compromised immune systems, such as people with AIDS, disseminate to the CNS, and cause meningitis that has a high mortality rate.

trypanosomiasis

protozoan disease in genus Trypanosoma aka African Sleeping Sickness transmitted by tsetse fly

The organism can infect all organs of the body and if left untreated the person will die from deterioration of the CNS leading to death.

hard to develop a vaccine given the changing membrane proteins to escape host immune system