Parasitology Lecture Notes Flashcards

Flashcards based on lecture notes about Protozoa, Hemoflagellates, Leishmania, Trypanosomes, Malaria, Plasmodium, Babesia, Coccidia, and other parasites.

What areas can Hemoflagellates infect?

Infect the blood, lymph nodes, muscles and RES

What are the four morphologies or stages of Hemoflagellates?

Amastigote, Promastigote, Epimastigote, Trypomastigote

What is the most probable parasite in the Clinical Mystery Case?

Leishmania mexicana complex (New World Cutaneous Leishmaniasis)

What is the vector and reservoir host in the Clinical Mystery Case?

Vector - Lutzomyia sandfly; Reservoir host - forest rodents

What is the appearance of the Amastigote form?

Round to oval and no flagella

What is the appearance of the Promastigote form?

Long and slender, one nucleus located in or near the center, kinetoplast located in anterior end

What is the appearance of the Epimastigote form?

Long and slightly wider than promastigote form, one nucleus located in posterior end, kinetoplast located anterior to the nucleus

What is the appearance of the Trypomastigote form?

C, S, or U shape often seen in stained blood films, single free flagellum extending from anterior end, undulating membrane, kinetoplast located in the posterior end

Infection with Leishmania spp. can result in what diseases depending on the species involved?

Cutaneous, diffuse cutaneous, mucocutaneous, or visceral disease

What is the diagnostic stage of Leishmania spp.?

Amastigotes

What is the infective stage of Leishmania spp.?

Promastigotes

What is the vector of Leishmania braziliensis complex?

Lutzomyia

What are the modes of transmission of Leishmania?

Insect vector, congenitally, blood transfusion, contamination of bite wounds, direct contact with contaminated specimens

What are other names for Mucocutaneous Leishmania?

Espundia, Forest Yaws, Pian Bois, Uta

What is the vector of Leishmania mexicana complex?

Lutzomiya

What is the reservoir host of Leishmania mexicana complex?

Dogs and forest rodents

What is the pathology of Leishmania mexicana complex?

Edema and secondary bacterial infections combined with numerous mucosal lesions, may cause disfigurement of the patient's face and death (usually attributed to a secondary bacterial infection).

What is the vector for Leishmania tropica complex?

Phlebotomus spp.

What is the reservoir host of Leishmania tropica complex?

Rock hyrax, Dogs, Gerbils

What are other names for Old World Cutaneous Leishmaniasis?

Oriental sores, Delhi boils, Baghdad boils, Aleppo button, Jericho boil

What is the vector for Leishmania donovani complex?

Phlebotomus and Lutzomyia sandflies

What is the reservoir host of Leishmania donovani complex?

Dogs, cats, foxes, jackals, porcupines, other rodents

What are other names for the disease associated with Leishmania donovani complex?

Visceral Leishmaniasis, Kala-azar, Dumdum fever

What is the vector of East African Sleeping Sickness?

Glossina palpatis

What characterizes African Sleeping Sickness?

Acute phase in which peripheral blood and lymph nodes are invaded, followed by a chronic phase in which the CNS is invaded, resulting in meningoencephalitis

What are symptoms of Trypanosoma brucei complex?

Winterbottom's sign and Kerandel’s sign

What is the vector of Trypanosoma cruzi?

Triatoma (Kissing bugs, Reduviid bugs, Assassin bugs, Conenose bugs)

What is the mode of transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi?

Contamination of the bite wound with the feces from the Reduviid bug

What are the pathologies of Trypanosoma cruzi?

Myocarditis, megacolon, megaesophagus, hepatosplenomegaly, cardiomegaly

What is the mosquito vector for malaria in the Philippines?

Anopheles minimus var. flavirostris

Plasmodium spp. belongs to what phylum?

Phylum Apicomplexa

What is the definitive host for Plasmodium spp.?

Female Anopheles mosquito

What is the intermediate host for Plasmodium spp.?

Man

What characterizes Plasmodium vivax (Benign Tertian Malaria)?

Schuffner's dot (condensed hemoglobin) in red cells and only reticulocyte invaded (young RBCs)

What is the cause of recurrent fever, chills and sweating in malaria?

Synchronized rupture on red blood cells

What causes Cerebral Malaria?

Red cells, organisms, and pigment block brain vessels

What causes Blackwater Fever?

Sudden massive intravascular hemolysis resulting to hemoglobinuria

What characterizes Plasmodium malariae?

Ziemann's dots and infects old RBCs (mature RBCs)

What characterizes Plasmodium ovale?

Single, compact ring James' dots/Schuffner's dots, infects young RBCs, infected RBCs: Larger than normal; serrated and fimbriated

What characterizes Plasmodium falciparum?

Small ring forms (1/6 diameter red cell), applique forms/accole/marginal, double nuclear dots, Maurer's dots and infects all stages of RBCs

What stages of Plasmodium knowlesi are seen in peripheral blood?

All stages

Which blood film is used for screening?

Thick blood film

Which blood film is used for identification?

Thin blood film

What are other names for Babesia spp.?

Texas Cattle Fever/Red Water Fever/Tick Fever/Nantucket Fever

What is the vector of Babesia spp.?

Ticks

What is the definitive host for Babesia Spp.?

Ixodes Spp

What characterizes Coccidia?

Unicellular protozoa; live intracellularly at least during a part of their life cycle

What is the definitive host for Isospora belli?

Man

What is the infective stage of Cyclospora cayatanensis?

Sporulated oocyst

What is the infective stage of Cyrptosporidium Spp.?

Unizoite cysts

What is the mode of transmission of Sarcocystis spp.?

Ingestion of infective mature (also known as sporulated) oocysts in contaminated food or water; autoinfection

What causes external transmission in Blastocystic hominis?

Thick-walled cysts

What is the most common form of Blastocystic hominis?

Central vacuole form

What is the mode of transmission of Pneumocystic jiroveci?

Inhalation of thick-walled mature cysts and direct person-to-person contact

What stains are used in the lab diagnosis of Microsporidia?

Trichrome and acid-fast stain, Gram staining (+), Periodic acid Schiff

What is the definitive host of Toxoplasma gondii?

Cats

What is the intermediate host of Toxoplasma gondii?

Man and other mammals

How does Toxoplasma gondii infect humans?

Oocyst in feces

What diagnostic tests can be used for Cerebral Toxoplasmosis?

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR), biopsy, buffy coat cells, CSF, tissue culture