Vector Borne Diseases

Lyme Disease

Most common vector-borne disease in US

Endemic to New England and Mid-Atlantic States

Lyme Disease Pathogen

Borrelia burgdorferi

Lyme Disease Resivoir

white footed mouse

Lyme Disease vector

ticks

Lyme Disease common symptioms

bull’s eye rash

erythema migrans (skin rash)

fever, fatigue, body aches, joint pain

Untreated Lyme disease symptoms

chronic arthritis

nerve damage

cardiac damage

Lyme Disease treatment

Oral antibiotics

prevent tick bites

prophylactic antibiotics

wash tick bites

Malaria Vector

mosquitoes

Malaria pathogen

Plasmodium prasite

Dengue Fever vector

mosquitoes

ectoparasite

lives on a host’s body

cause irritation and itching

may transmit bacteria, viruses, or parasites

endoparasite

lives inside a host’s body

live in the digestive tract, blood vessels, or organs of host

Helminths

parasitic worms

Protozoa active form

trophozoite

Protozoa dormant resting stage

cyst

how are protozoa grouped?

based on motility

what are the types of protozoa motility?

flagella

cilia

amoeba

Trichomoniasis

sexually transmitted parasitic infection

Trichomoniasis transmission

person to person by direct sexual contact

Trichomoniasis complications

infection during pregnancy increases the chance of preterm delivery

increased risk or contracting other STDs

Toxoplasmosis

systemic parasitic infection

transmitted through ingesting cysts

who is most at risk of Toxoplasmosis

HIV, immunodeficiency: infects the brain, eye, or organs, causes blindness, seizures

pregnancy: infects fetus and may cause pregnancy loss, birth defects, or illness like blindness or epilepsy that begin later in life

Toxoplasmosis

Most common CNS infection in AIDS patients

Toxoplasmosis transmission

eating undercooked meat

contacting cysts shed from feces

Chagas Disease

vector borne parasitic infection

Chagas Disease pathogen

Trypanosoma cruzi

Chagas disease transmission

bite from the triatomine bug

parasite lives in insect gut

insect defecates while feeding

bug feces with parasite enters bite wound

Chagas disease complications

crosses placenta

enlarged colon or esophagus, digestive issues

cardiomyopathy, enlarged heart, heart failure