Blood and Tissue Parasites

Plasmodium falciparum

Tropics and subtropics

Most sever form of malaria (Cerebral malaria & Blackwater fever)

Regular size RBCs

Applique or Headphone rings

Banana/Crescent shaped gametocytes

Plasmodium malariae

Tropics and subtropics

Infected cells are smaller

Rings w/ large chromatin, 1/3 size RBC

Troph forms band or baskquet

Schizonts: 6-12 merozoites

Gametocytes fill entire RBC

Plasmodium vivax

Temperate and tropics

Infected RBCs are larger

Can infect reticulocytes

“Hugs” other RBCs

Rings w/large chromatin dot and cytoplasm >1/3 RBC size

Trooph is ameoboid

Schizonts: 12-24 merozoites

Gametocytes fill entire RBC

Hypnozoites in liver

Plasmodium ovale

West Africa, South America, & Asia

Infected RBCs are larger

Can infect reticulocytes

“Push” other cells away

Fimbriated edge

Rings w/large chromatin dot and cytoplasm >1/3 RBC size

Trophs are compact

Schizonts: 6-12 merozoites

Gametocytes fill RBC

Hypnozoites in liver

Babesia sp.

Rings 1/6-1/3 size of RBC

RBC are normal size

Rings form tetrad or maltese cross

Trympanosoma cruzi

Mexia, Central, & South America

C-shaped trypomastigotes in blood with large gametoplast at end

Triatokine bug

Romana’s sign

Trypanosoma brucei complex

gambiense West Africa

rhodesiense East Africa

Wavyer trypomastigote

Leishmania sp.

Tropics and sub-tropics

Contain kinetoplasts

Toxoplasma gondii

Tachyzoites 4-6um

Crescent shaped with central nucleus

Bradyzoite

Wuchereria bancrofti

Has sheath

Nuclei end before end of tail

Short head space

>200 um

Brugia malayi

Has sheath, stains pink

Has subterminal and terminal nuclei in tail

>200 um

Brugia timor

Has sheath

Has two terminal nuclei in tail

>200 um

Loa loa

Has sheath

Has nuclei fully to the tail

Short head space

>200 um