Parasitology Flashcards

Protozoa

Entamoeba histolytica (Intestinal Ameba)

  • Disease: Amoebiasis
  • Symptoms: Dysentery, abdominal pain, liver abscess
  • Virulence Factor: Adhesins, cysteine proteinases
  • Transmission: Fecal-oral (contaminated food or water)
  • Treatment: Metronidazole

Balantidium coli (Ciliates and flagellates)

  • Disease: Balantidiasis
  • Symptoms: Diarrhea, abdominal pain, intestinal ulcers
  • Virulence Factor: Enzymes aiding tissue invasion
  • Transmission: Fecal-oral (contaminated food or water)
  • Treatment: Tetracycline

Naegleria fowleri (Free living amoeba)

  • Disease: Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM)
  • Symptoms: Fever, headache, nausea, seizures, coma
  • Virulence Factor: Cytotoxic proteases
  • Transmission: Waterborne (contaminated water via nasal passages)
  • Treatment: Amphotericin B, Miltefosine

Giardia duodenalis/lamblia (Ciliates and flagellates)

  • Disease: Giardiasis
  • Symptoms: Watery diarrhea, abdominal cramps, malabsorption
  • Virulence Factor: Adhesive disk, antigenic variation
  • Transmission: Fecal-oral (contaminated food or water)
  • Treatment: Metronidazole, Tinidazole

Trichomonas vaginalis (Ciliates and flagellates)

  • Disease: Trichomoniasis
  • Symptoms: Vaginal discharge, itching, pain during urination, urethritis
  • Virulence Factor: Adhesins, immune evasion
  • Transmission: Sexual contact
  • Treatment: Metronidazole, Tinidazole

Cryptosporidium hominis (Coccidians)

  • Disease: Cryptosporidiosis
  • Symptoms: Watery diarrhea, nausea, abdominal cramps
  • Virulence Factor: Resistant oocyst, intracellular replication
  • Transmission: Fecal-oral (contaminated food or water)
  • Treatment: Nitazoxanide

Toxoplasma gondii (Coccidians)

  • Disease: Toxoplasmosis
  • Symptoms: Flu-like symptoms, fever, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes, congenital defects, ocular issues
  • Virulence Factor: Ability to survive in macrophages, cyst formation, intracellular replication
  • Transmission: Undercooked meat, cat feces, transplacental
  • Treatment: Pyrimethamine + Sulfadiazine

Plasmodium spp. (Coccidians)

  • Disease: Malaria
  • Symptoms: Fever, chills, sweats, headache, anemia, splenomegaly
  • Virulence Factor: Apical organelles, Antigenic variation, intracellular replication
  • Transmission: Mosquito bites (Anopheles)
  • Treatment: Chloroquine, Artemisinin

Plasmodium falciparum (Coccidians)

  • Disease: Severe Malaria
  • Symptoms: Severe anemia, cerebral malaria, hypoglycemia
  • Virulence Factor: Cytoadherence proteins
  • Transmission: Mosquito bites (Anopheles)
  • Treatment: Artemisinin Combination Therapy (ACT)

Plasmodium vivax (Coccidians)

  • Disease: Relapsing Malaria
  • Symptoms: Severe anemia, cerebral malaria, hypoglycemia
  • Virulence Factor: Dormant liver stage (hypnozoites)
  • Transmission: Mosquito bites (Anopheles)
  • Treatment: Chloroquine + Primaquine

Plasmodium ovale (Coccidians)

  • Disease: Relapsing Malaria
  • Symptoms: Severe anemia, cerebral malaria, hypoglycemia
  • Virulence Factor: Dormant liver stage (hypnozoites)
  • Transmission: Mosquito bites (Anopheles)
  • Treatment: Chloroquine + Primaquine

Plasmodium malariae (Coccidians)

  • Disease: Malaria
  • Symptoms: Long-lasting fevers
  • Virulence Factor: Slow development cycle
  • Transmission: Mosquito bites (Anopheles)
  • Treatment: Chloroquine

Plasmodium knowlesi (Coccidians)

  • Disease: Zoonotic Malaria
  • Symptoms: High fever, respiratory distress
  • Virulence Factor: High replication rate
  • Transmission: Mosquito bites (Anopheles)
  • Treatment: Artemisinin Combination Therapy (ACT)

Trypanosoma spp. (Blood and tissue flagellates)

  • Disease: Trypanosomiasis (Sleeping sickness, Chagas disease)
  • Symptoms: Fever, headache, joint pain, swollen lymph nodes, neurological issues, cardiac complications
  • Virulence Factor: Variant surface glycoprotein, Antigenic variation, immune evasion
  • Transmission: Tsetse fly bite (African), Triatomine bug feces (American)
  • Treatment: Suramin (African), Benznidazole (American)

Leishmania spp. (Blood and tissue flagellates)

  • Disease: Leishmaniasis
  • Symptoms: Skin sores, fever, weight loss, Cutaneous ulcers, visceral leishmaniasis (fever, hepatosplenomegaly)
  • Virulence Factor: Lipophosphoglycan , Intracellular replication
  • Transmission: Sandfly bites
  • Treatment: Amphotericin B, Miltefosine

Nematodes

Ascaris lumbricoides (Intestinal nematodes)

  • Disease: Ascariasis
  • Symptoms: Abdominal discomfort, intestinal obstruction, malnutrition
  • Virulence Factor: High reproductive capacity, immune evasion
  • Transmission: Fecal-oral (ingestion of eggs in contaminated food or water)
  • Treatment: Albendazole, Mebendazole

Trichuris trichiura (Intestinal nematodes)

  • Disease: Trichuriasis
  • Symptoms: Bloody diarrhea, rectal prolapse (in severe cases), anemia
  • Virulence Factor: Tissue invasion, mechanical damage, Blood-feeding,
  • Transmission: Fecal-oral (ingestion of eggs in contaminated food or water)
  • Treatment: Albendazole, Mebendazole

Hookworms (Intestinal nematodes)

  • Disease: Hookworm disease
  • Symptoms: Anemia, malnutrition, fatigue, "ground itch" (rash at entry site)
  • Virulence Factor: Skin penetration by larvae from contaminated soil, proteolytic enzymes
  • Transmission: Skin penetration by larvae from contaminated soil
  • Treatment: Albendazole, Mebendazole

Strongyloides stercoralis (Intestinal nematodes)

  • Disease: Strongyloidiasis
  • Symptoms: Abdominal pain, diarrhea, severe immune evasion causing disseminated strongyloidiasis in immunocompromised patients
  • Virulence Factor: Autoinfection cycle, immune evasion
  • Transmission: Skin penetration by larvae from contaminated soil, autoinfection
  • Treatment: Ivermectin

Enterobius vermicularis (Intestinal nematodes)

  • Disease: Enterobiasis (Pinworm infection)
  • Symptoms: Perianal itching (worse at night), mild abdominal discomfort
  • Virulence Factor: Egg-laying on perianal folds
  • Transmission: Fecal-oral (ingestion of eggs, commonly due to hand-to-mouth transfer)
  • Treatment: Albendazole, Mebendazole

Wuchereria bancrofti (Tissue nematode)

  • Disease: Lymphatic filariasis
  • Symptoms: Swelling of limbs (elephantiasis), fever, lymphangitis
  • Virulence Factor: Immune modulation, lymphatic invasion
  • Transmission: Mosquito bite (Culex, Anopheles, or Aedes species)
  • Treatment: Diethylcarbamazine (DEC), Albendazole

Brugia malayi (Tissue nematode)

  • Disease: Lymphatic filariasis
  • Symptoms: Similar to W. bancrofti, swelling predominantly in the lower limbs
  • Virulence Factor: Immune modulation, lymphatic invasion
  • Transmission: Mosquito bite (Mansonia or Aedes species)
  • Treatment: Diethylcarbamazine (DEC), Albendazole

Trichinella spiralis (Tissue nematode)

  • Disease: Trichinellosis
  • Symptoms: Muscle pain, fever, swelling around the eyes, gastrointestinal symptoms (in early stages)
  • Virulence Factor: Cyst formation in muscle tissue
  • Transmission: Ingestion of undercooked meat (e.g., pork) containing larvae
  • Treatment: Albendazole, Mebendazole

Cestodes

Taenia spp (Intestinal cestodes)

  • Disease: Taeniasis
  • Symptoms: Abdominal pain, diarrhea, weight loss, potential complications like cysticercosis (T. solium)
  • Virulence Factor: Cyst formation in tissues
  • Transmission: Ingestion of undercooked meat containing larvae
  • Treatment: Praziquantel

Diphyllobothrium latum (Intestinal cestodes)

  • Disease: Diphyllobothriasis
  • Symptoms: Abdominal discomfort, diarrhea, B12 deficiency leading to anemia
  • Virulence Factor: High egg production
  • Transmission: Ingestion of raw or undercooked fish
  • Treatment: Praziquantel

Trematodes

Schistosoma haematobium (Blood fluke)

  • Disease: Schistosomiasis (Urinary)
  • Symptoms: Hematuria, bladder inflammation, chronic infection may lead to bladder cancer
  • Virulence Factor: Egg deposition and immune response
  • Transmission: Skin penetration by larvae in contaminated water
  • Treatment: Praziquantel

Schistosoma japonicum (Blood fluke)

  • Disease: Schistosomiasis (Intestinal)
  • Symptoms: Abdominal pain, diarrhea, hepatosplenomegaly
  • Virulence Factor: Egg deposition and immune response
  • Transmission: Skin penetration by larvae in contaminated water
  • Treatment: Praziquantel

Schistosoma mansoni (Blood fluke)

  • Disease: Schistosomiasis (Intestinal)
  • Symptoms: Similar to S. japonicum, abdominal pain, liver fibrosis, and portal hypertension
  • Virulence Factor: Egg deposition and immune response
  • Transmission: Skin penetration by larvae in contaminated water
  • Treatment: Praziquantel

Paragonimus westermani (Lung fluke)

  • Disease: Paragonimiasis
  • Symptoms: Chronic cough, chest pain, hemoptysis (sputum with blood)
  • Virulence Factor: Cyst formation in lung tissues
  • Transmission: Ingestion of raw or undercooked crustaceans
  • Treatment: Praziquantel, Triclabendazole

Arthropoda - Arachnida

Louse (body) - Pediculosis corporis

  • Symptoms: Intense itching, rash, secondary bacterial infections
  • Virulence Factor: Saliva causing irritation
  • Transmission: Close physical contact
  • Treatment: Permethrin, Malathion

Louse (head) - Pediculosis capitis

  • Symptoms: Itching of the scalp, visible nits or lice
  • Virulence Factor: Saliva causing irritation
  • Transmission: Close physical contact
  • Treatment: Permethrin, Malathion

Louse (inguinal) - Pediculosis pubis

  • Symptoms: Itching in pubic area, visible nits or lice
  • Virulence Factor: Saliva causing irritation
  • Transmission: Close physical or sexual contact
  • Treatment: Permethrin, Malathion