Apicomplexa (Sporozoa)

Mycology

Sporogony

Sexual reproduction of spores and sporozoites

Schizogony (human host)

Asexual multiplication

Paroxysm

Toxic material released from ruptured RBC causing symptoms like shaking, chills, high fever, and sweating

Coccidia

Pathogenic blood coccidia including Plasmodium sp., Babesia microti, Toxoplasma gondii.

—Pathogenic intestinal coccidia

Sarcocystis sp.

Cystosospora belli

Cryptosporidium parvum

Cryptosporidium hominis

Cyclospora cayetanensis

Plasmodium ovale

Babesia microti

Malaria

Protozoal disease caused by Plasmodium species, transmitted by Anopheles mosquito, blood transfusions, or transplacentally

Thick Blood Smears

Diagnostic procedure to identify species-specific ring forms, gametes, and schizonts in malaria

Plasmodium falciparum

Malignant malaria causing paroxysms every 36 to 48 hrs, infecting normal size RBCs, leading to hemolytic anemia

P. falciparum Ring form

P. falciparum gametocyte

P. malariae

Found in the tropics

Causes Quartan malaria

Paroxyzms every 72 hours

Diagnostic forms are trophozoite band forms and schizonts (6-12 merozoites that form a rosette)

P. malariae band form

P. malariae Schizont form

Plasmodium vivax

Causes Tertian malaria with paroxysms every 48 hrs, infecting young RBCs, showing Schuffner’s dots and schizonts with 12 to 24 merozoites. Found in tropics. Most prevalent.

Plasmodium vivax Trophozoite

Plasmodium vivax Schichzont

Plasmodium vivax Macrogametocyte

Plasmodium vivax Microgametocyte

Plasmodium ovale

Ovale malaria with paroxysms every 48 hrs, infecting oval RBCs, showing Schuffner’s dots and schizonts with 8 to 12 merozoites

Plasmodium ovale color plate

Babesia species

Tick-transmitted infection causing fever, chills, sweats, fatigue, hemolytic anemia, spleen, and liver disease, with "Maltese cross formation" ring forms

Babesia color plate

Toxoplasma gondii

Causative agent of toxoplasmosis, transmitted through cat feces, causing clinical infections in adults and children, diagnosed by serology and histology

Sarcocystis species

Cryptoisospora belli

Cryptospiridium parvum

Toxoplasma gondii

Cryptospiridium parvum

Cystoisospora belli (Isospora belli) Oocysts

Cyclospora cayetanensis

Cyclospora cayetanensis

Cryptosporidium parvum & Cryptosporidium hominis

Common infections causing abdominal pain and diarrhea, diagnosed by acid-fast oocyst in feces and serologic tests

Cystoisospora belli

Opportunistic pathogen causing low-grade fever, headache, diarrhea, and colicky abdominal pain, diagnosed by elliptical oocysts

Cyclospora cayetanensis

Transmitted through contaminated food & water, causing diarrhea, abdominal cramping, vomiting, and low-grade fever

Microsporidia

Fungal-related parasites causing diarrhea, cramps, loss of appetite, and fatigue, diagnosed by soil contamination with spores and symptoms like dehydration and weight loss

Microsporadia diagnosis

1-3 um spores that stain deep red with a modified weber trichrome stain