Protozoa Flashcards

1
Q

what are Protozoa

A

Single-celled eukaryotic organisms (with nucleus)

can be free-living or parasitic

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2
Q

what are the 5 major groups of protozoa

A

Flagellates

Amoebae

Sporozoans

Ciliates

Microsporidia

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3
Q

What are flagellates

A

locomotory organelles that reproduce by binary fission

often intestinal

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4
Q

what are the 5 main examples of flagellates

A

sleeping sickness

american trypanosomiasis

leishmaniasis

trichomonas vaginalis

giardiasis

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5
Q

what flagellate causes sleeping sickness ?

A

sleeping sickness = human african trypanosomiasis

Trypanosoma spp

Trypanosoma brucei gambiense = west African milder version

Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense = S.E African

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6
Q

how is human african trypanosomiasis transmitted?

A

the bite of an infected tsetse fly

causes a chancre at site (red large sore)

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7
Q

what are the symptoms of human African trypanosomiasis?

A

initially flu like symptoms

CNS symptoms - personality change, body clock alteration, confusion, seizures

untreated leads to coma and death

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8
Q

can human African trypanosomiasis be diagnosed and treated?

A

Diagnosed by seeing protozoa on microscopy of blood or CSF

Can be treated by drugs

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9
Q

what other trypanosoma species (a flagellate) causes a major disease, this time in central/South America?

A

american trypanosomiasis, aka chagas disease

Caused by trypanosoma cruzi

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10
Q

how is American trypanosomiasis spread ?

A

Spread by triatomine bug faeces, blood, contaminated food

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11
Q

what are the symptoms of American trypanosomiasis (chagas disease)

acute and chronic

A

acute – flu like and romana sign

chronic – dilated cardiomyopathy, failure , malnutrition, swallowing problems and weight loss as a result of Megaesophagus + Megacolon

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12
Q

what does the romana sign look like

A

swollen eyelid from faeces in eye

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13
Q

can you treat chagas disease?

A

Effective treatment for acute phase, but once in the chronic phase can only treat supportively eg pacemakers, antiarrhythmics

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14
Q

example 3 of a flagellate

leishmaniasis

how is it spread?

A

leishmaniasis is spread by infected sand fly

infected sad fly bite

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15
Q

leishmaniasis has 3 clinical pictures:

Cutaneous and Mucocutaneous, and visceral

describe Cutaneous and Mucocutaneous

A

Both have ulceration and destruction

Ulcers on face,arms,legs

Mucocutaneous lesions can lead to partial or total destruction of the mucous membranes of the nose, mouth and throat cavities and surrounding tissues. → lead to recurrent bacterial pneumonia + sepsis

no treatment

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16
Q

why does having leishmaniasis lead to social prejudice?

A

When the ulcers heal, they invariably leave permanent scars, which are often the cause of serious social prejudice.

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17
Q

leishmaniasis has 3 clinical pictures:

Cutaneous and Mucocutaneous, and visceral

describe visceral

A

Affects internal organs
Aka. black fever

Characterised by irregular bouts of fever, substantial weight loss, swelling of the spleen and liver, and anaemia secondary (which may be serious).

high fatality without treatment

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18
Q

Example 4 of flagellates → trichomonas vaginalis

how is it spread?

A

Sexually transmitted

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19
Q

Example 4 of flagellates → trichomonas vaginalis

symptoms

A

Can be asymptomatic, have dysuria and yellow frothy discharge

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20
Q

Example 4 of flagellates → trichomonas vaginalis

treatment

A

Metronidazole

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21
Q

Example 5 of flagellates → giardiasis

spread

A

Giardia lamblia

Faeco-oral spread

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22
Q

Example 5 of flagellates → giardiasis

symptoms

A

diarrhoea, cramps, bloating, flatulence,

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23
Q

Example 5 of flagellates → giardiasis

risk factors

A

recent travel and childcare workers

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24
Q

Example 5 of flagellates → giardiasis

treatment

A

metronidazole

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25
Q

what are amoeba ?

A

class of protozoa

Move by means of flowing cytoplasm and production of pseudopodia

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26
Q

what is the key example of an amoebiasis?

A

amoebic dysentery

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27
Q

amoebic dysentery

  • how is it spread?
A

Faeco-oral

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28
Q

amoebic dysentery

  • epidemiology
A

Common in poor sanitary conditions/ tropical countries

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29
Q

amoebic dysentery

  • symptoms
A

dysentery, colitis, lung and liver abscesses

or asymptomatic

30
Q

amoebic dysentery

  • treatment
A

metronidazole

31
Q

what are sporozoans?

A

class of protozoa

No locomotory extensions

All species parasitic

32
Q

what does cryptosporidiosis ( a sporozoan) cause?

A

Causes diarrhoea (watery, no blood), vomiting, fever, weight loss
Symptoms last 1-2 weeks, usually self-limiting
but severe in immunocompromised

33
Q

how does cryptosporidiosis spread and who is at risk ?

A

Waterborne

At risk: children, swimmers (recreational water contaminated)

34
Q

what does toxoplasma gondii (a sporozoan) cause?

A

Toxoplasmosis

can cause :
Toxoplasma encephalitis (inflammation of the brain)
Glandular fever type symptoms
Chorioretinitis (inflammation of choroid around retina)

35
Q

how is Toxoplasmosis spread?

A

Ingestion of oocytes or bradyzoite (tissue cyst) through:

contaminated food eg. rare beef
Contaminated water
feline faeces eg. pet cat

36
Q

toxoplasmosis can be deveststaing in pregnancy

therefore what foods/activities should a pregnant women avoid?

A

avoid raw meat, unpasteurised goats milk, avoid gardening or cleaning cat litter trays

37
Q

what type of protozoa is malaria?

A

a sporozoan

38
Q

name the different species of sporozoan that can cause malaria in humans

A

Plasmodium falciparum/ovale/vivax/malariae/knowlesi

39
Q

which of the 5 types of sporozoan species that cause malaria in humans causes the highest mortality?

A

Plasmodium falciparum

40
Q

which of the 5 types of sporozoan species that cause malaria in humans takes the longest to present?

A

Vivax and ovale

Presents after a year!
Don’t tend to cause death

41
Q

how is malaria transmitted?

A

By bite of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes

42
Q

what are the 2 factors that if a patient with them you should suspect and test for malaria

A
  1. fever
  2. recent travel history

so crucial you test for malaria when a patient has these 2 things because early identification of malaria is key

43
Q

what are the clinical features of malaria

A

FEVER

possible:
- headache
- myalgia
- fatigue
- nausea and vomiting
- diarrhoea

44
Q

what are possible signs of malaria in a patient?

A

Anaemia
Jaundice (look yellow)
Hepatosplenomegaly (big spleen and liver)
Black water fever that occurs from haemolysis à haemoglobin then passes into the urine

45
Q

what 2 tests can be used to diagnose malaria ?

A
  1. Diagnose using light microscopy (see the trophozoite)

Three blood films are done on consecutive days, as this is the length of the life cycle

  1. can also use rapid diagnostic tests, that work like pregnancy tests, and detect plasmodium antigens in the blood
46
Q

how to treat complicated malaria

A

IV artesunate - newer drug

IV quinine + doxycycline

47
Q

what is ‘complicated malaria’ ? what happens to the RBCs

A

obstructed microcirculation in organs causing failure

Infected RBCs in the human blood stages of life cycle have a greater ability to adhere to endothelial cells (they get sticky) leading to occlusion of vessels

48
Q

which species of malaria tends to cause complicated malaria?

A

plasmodium falciparum

49
Q

what impact can plasmodium falciparum have on major organs during complicated malaria ?

  1. the brain
A

cerebral malaria

Vascular occlusion + hyperglycemia that occurs in maleria
Leads to droesiness, increase in pressure, seizures and coma

Support with Antiepileptics

50
Q

what impact can plasmodium falciparum have on major organs during complicated malaria ?

  1. the lungs
A

In the lungs, there is acute respiratory distress syndrome

lead to ARDS?pulmonary oedema

Support with oxygen, diuretics, ventilation

51
Q

what impact can plasmodium falciparum have on major organs during complicated malaria ?

  1. kidneys
A

Causes fatigue, proteinuria, haematuria

This is from the vascular conclusion, dehydration, hypotension, haemolysis

renal failure

Support with fluids, dialysis

52
Q

what impact can plasmodium falciparum have on major organs during complicated malaria ?

  1. blood
A

sepsis - Support with broad spectrum antibiotics

abnormal bleeding or anaemia
- Support with blood products
Anaemia can cause cardiogenic shock
Bleeding causes hypovolemic shock
Signs: drowsy, pale, tachycardia, hypotension

53
Q

when and how do malaria relapses happen?

A

hypnozoites can lie dormant in liver and reactivate months later

not eradicated by conventional anti malaria treatment

prevent by using broad spectrum antibiotics as well as conventional treatment

54
Q

what are the 3 main cycles in the malaria life cycle ? how long is the cycle?

A

Erythrocytic cycle

Exo-erythrocytic cycle

Sporogonic cycle

^ life cycle = 4 week

55
Q

malaria life cycle:

  1. Mosquito bites an infected human,

what does it ingest? how long is the mosquito now infected for?

A
  1. Mosquito bites an infected human

ingests plasmodium gametocytes
It is Infected for life!

56
Q

malaria life cycle:

  1. sporogonic cycle

what happens in this cycle (after mosquito has bitten infected human) ?

A

Within the mosquito:

the gametocytes ingested are within the midgut, and undergo development,

they end up as sporozoites in the salivary glands of the mosquito

57
Q

malaria life cycle:

  1. what happens In the life cycle after the mosquito has bitten an infected human and the sporozoites have formed in the mosquitos salivary glands?
A

step 3 = Mosquito bites another human

When taking its next blood meal it injects the sporozoites into the human

58
Q

malaria life cycle

  1. human liver stages

the human has been bitten by an infected mosquito. what happens next, in the humans liver?

A

Hepatocytes in liver get infected by proliferating sporozoites (that were injected by the mosquito)

SYMPTOM; abdominal pain in human

59
Q

malaria life cycle

  1. Exo-erythrocytic cycle

what happens to the liver cells infected with sporozoites?

A

Infected liver cell develops into a schizont,
This then bursts and infects red blood cells

60
Q

malaria life cycle

  1. after the Exo-erythrocytic cycle , what happens to the infected RBCs in the human ?
A

step 6 = human blood stages

Within the red blood cell, plasmodium becomes a trophozoite

This is one of the forms we can see on a blood film to diagnose malaria

61
Q

malaria life cycle

  1. erythrocytic cycle

what happens to the trophozoites in the RBCs on bitten human?

A

The trophozoite develops into a schizont,

which then ruptures

It re-infects another RBC

This blood stage cycle lasts 48 hours in most of the plasmodium species

62
Q

what symptoms present during the erythrocytic cycle (in the malaria life cycle) ?

A

Cyclical fever when RBCs rupture

Haemolysis leads to -

Anaemia
Jaundice from bilirubinemia
Haemoglobinuria

63
Q

malaria life cycle

  1. during the erythrocytic cycle, some of the trophozoites dont develop into schizonts, some develop into something else…what?
A

Some of the trophozoites develop into gametocytes instead of schizont

64
Q

malaria life cycle

  1. the human now has plasmodium gametocytes, how is the life cycle repeated?
A

Another mosquito bites this human

This bug takes up the infected gametocytes in its blood meal

It is now infected

and can carry on the cycle by biting a human and infecting them

65
Q

what are ciliates? why ar they called ciliates?

A

another type of protozoa

have Cilia that beat rhythmically

66
Q

name a ciliate

A

Balantidium coli

67
Q

what are Microsporidia?

A

5th types of protozoa

68
Q

what is unique about microsporidia ?

A

produce spores

have a Unique polar filament; coiled inside spore

69
Q

what is the main treatment for infections caused by many protozoa?

A

Metronidazole

70
Q

what antibody is triggered by malaria ?

A

IgE response