Clin Med: Parasites and Fungi

Plasmodium falciparum

A species of malaria parasite predominant in Africa that causes the most severe form of malaria disease.

Plasmodium vivax

A widely distributed malaria parasite species that can form dormant hypnozoites in liver cells, leading to disease relapse.

Plasmodium ovale

A species of malaria parasite capable of forming dormant hypnozoites in hepatocytes and causing relapsing infection.

Plasmodium malariae

A species of malaria parasite capable of causing long-standing or chronic malaria infections.

Plasmodium knowlesi

A species of Plasmodium causing zoonotic malaria primarily in Southeast Asia.

Malaria

A mosquito-borne parasitic infection caused by Plasmodium species transmitted by female Anopheles mosquitoes, characterized by a liver stage, red blood cell invasion and rupture, and classic paroxysms of chills, high fever, and diaphoresis.

sporozoites

tiny mobile parasitic cells injected by mosquitos that travel to liver and infect hepatocytes

Hypnozoites

Dormant liver-stage parasitic forms produced by Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium ovale that can reactivate to cause malaria relapses.

merozoites

Released by liver to invade RBCs in malaria infection

gametocytes

development of parasites to be taken up by another mosquito for continued transmission cycle

Toxoplasmosis

An infection caused by the obligate intracellular protozoan Toxoplasma gondii, acquired by ingesting undercooked meat containing tissue cysts, consuming oocysts from cat feces, or via transplacental transmission.

Toxoplasma Encephalitis

Central nervous system reactivation of Toxoplasma gondii occurring in immunocompromised individuals—particularly advanced HIV with CD4 <100 cells/mm³—classically presenting with multiple ring-enhancing brain lesions on MRI.

Congenital Toxoplasmosis

Transplacental Toxoplasma gondii infection that manifests with a classic triad of chorioretinitis, hydrocephalus, and intracranial calcifications.

Amebiasis

An intestinal protozoan infection caused by Entamoeba histolytica transmitted via fecal-oral cyst ingestion, which can cause colitis/dysentery or spread via portal circulation to form an amebic liver abscess.

Giardiasis

Infection of the proximal small intestine caused by the flagellated protozoan (G. lamblia), transmitted via fecal-oral cyst ingestion from contaminated water or food, which may cause temporary post-infectious lactose intolerance.

Lymphatic Filariasis

A mosquito-borne infection caused primarily by the nematode Wuchereria bancrofti, whose larvae migrate to lymph vessels and mature into adult worms, causing chronic lymphatic obstruction, lymphedema, hydrocele, or elephantiasis.

Hookworm Infection

Parasitic helminth infection presenting with a pruritic papular rash at the penetration site ("ground itch"), transient larval pulmonary migration symptoms, and chronic iron-deficiency anemia.

Cutaneous Larva Migrans

A cutaneous infection caused by animal hookworm larvae penetrating human skin, presenting as an intensely pruritic papule that develops into a creeping, raised, erythematous serpiginous track.

Enterobiasis (Pinworms)

An intestinal helminth infection caused by Enterobius vermicularis transmitted via fecal-oral egg ingestion, characterized by nocturnal perianal pruritus caused by female worms migrating to deposit eggs on perianal skin.

Oral Candidiasis (Thrush)

A fungal mucosal overgrowth of Candida characterized by white plaques on the oral mucosa that scrape off to reveal underlying erythematous tissue.

Vulvovaginal Candidiasis

A fungal infection caused by Candida overgrowth, presenting with vulvovaginal pruritus and a thick, white, "curd-like" discharge.

Esophageal Candidiasis

A fungal infection that can cause odynophagia with/without dysphagia and/or oral thrush that is AIDS-defining

Candiduria

a colonization fungal infection found more in hospitalized, specifically catheterized patients

Candidemia/Invasive candidiasis

A healthcare-associated bloodstream fungal infection that is characterized by persistent unexplained fever that can lead to sepsis or septic shock

Cryptococcosis Pulmonary

A typically asymptomatic fungal pulmonary disease of encapsulated budding yeast that can lead to nodules/infiltrates seen on imaging and possible pneumonia

Cryptococcal meningitis

A form of disseminated fungal infection that develops over days to weeks and causes headache, fever, AMS (typ subacute) and possibly elevated intracranial pressure (ICP), especially in immunocompromised/advanced HIV patients

Histoplasmosis

A fungal infection caused by inhaling spores of the dimorphic fungus, associated with soil enriched with bird or bat droppings, which can present with acute or chronic cavitary pulmonary disease or disseminated disease in immunocompromised hosts.

Blastomycosis

A fungal disease endemic to the Midwest, south-central, and eastern U.S. caused by inhaling spores of the dimorphic fungus, presenting with pulmonary disease or disseminated verrucous/ulcerative skin lesions and osteomyelitis.

Coccidioidomycosis

A fungal infection ("Valley Fever") endemic to arid regions of the Southwest U.S. caused by inhaling airborne arthroconidia, presenting with pulmonary symptoms, erythema nodosum with arthralgias, or severe disseminated disease like meningitis