Parasitic/Protozoan Diseases

Parasitic/Protozoan Diseases

I Respiratory Tract
A. Pneumocystis carinii Pneumonia (PCP)
1. Cause: Pneumocystis carinii (protozoan or fungus)
2. Transmission: direct human to human contact
3. Symptoms: alveoli become filled with a frothy exudate
4. Treatment: pentamidine isethionate, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole
5. Prevention:
6. Location:
7. Various facts:
a. opportunistic infection especially in the immunosuppressed (AIDS patients)
b. untreated infections are usually fatal
II Skin and Eyes
A. Acanthamoeba Keratitis
1. Cause: Acanthamoeba.
2. Transmission: Found in water. Associated with contact lenses.
3. Symptoms:
4. Treatment:
a. may require corneal transplant
5. Prevention:
6. Location:
7. Various facts:
III Digestive Tract
A. Amebiasis (Amebic Dysentary)
1. Cause: Entamoeba histolytica
2. Transmission: Cysts in food or water
3. Symptoms:
a. Diarrhea with blood and mucous
b. perforation of the intestinal wall
c. abscesses
4. Treatment: metronidazole plus iodoquinal
5. Prevention:
6. Location:
7. Various facts:
B. Giardiasis
1. Cause: Giardia lamblia (protozoan)
2. Transmission: contaminated water
3. Symptoms:
a. diarrhea
b. malaise
c. nausea
d. weakness
e. weight loss
f. abdominal cramps
4. Treatment: metronidazole, and quinacrine hydrochloride
5. Prevention:
6. Location:
7. Various facts:
a. cyst is resistant to chlorine
b. water filter can remove
C. Cryptosporidium
1. Cause: Cryptosporidium (protozoan)
2. Transmission: contaminated water (ingestion of oocytes)
3. Symptoms: diarrhea
a. serious in the immunosuppressed
4. Treatment:
5. Prevention:
6. Location:
7. Various facts:
a. cyst is resistant to chlorine
b. water filter can remove
D. Tapeworm
1. Cause: various tapeworms
2. Transmission: ingesting cyst in meat
3. Symptoms: usually minor
4. Treatment: niclosamide
5. Prevention:
6. Location:
7. Various facts:
E. Cysticercosis
1. Cause: Taenia solium (pork tapeworm)
2. Transmission:
3. Symptoms:
4. Treatment:
5. Prevention:
6. Location:
7. Various facts:
a. cysts form in various tissues
b. most serious is Neurocysticercosis
F. Pinworm
1. Cause: Enterobius vermicularis (nematode)
2. Transmission:
3. Symptoms: perianal itching
4. Treatment: pyrantel pamoate or mebendazole
5. Prevention:
6. Location:
7. Various facts:
a. female exits the anus at night to lay her eggs
G. Trichinosis/ Trichinellosis
1. Cause: Trichinella spiralis (roundworm)
2. Transmission: eating uncooked pork or other meat containing encysted larvae
3. Symptoms:
a. fever
b. GI upset
c. swelling around the eyes
d. Splinter hemorrhages.
4. Treatment: Mebendazole
5. Prevention:
6. Location:
7. Various facts:
H. Schistosomiasis
1. Cause: Schistosoma (fluke)
2. Transmission: contact with water. Snails are carriers. Organisms penetrate skin.
3. Symptoms:
a. tissue damage
b. abcesses
c. ulcers to the liver, and other organs.
4. Treatment: praxiquantel or oxamniquine
5. Prevention:
6. Location:
7. Various facts:
IV Nervous System
A. African Trypanosomiasis (Sleeping Sickness)
1. Cause: Trypanisoma (protozoa)
2. Transmission: Bite of the Tse Tse fly
3. Symptoms:
4. Treatment: Suramin, pentamidine isethionate, or eflornithine
5. Prevention:
6. Location:
7. Various facts:
a. travels from blood to the central nervous system
b. fatal if untreated
c. flagellate
V Disseminated & Intravascular (Protozoan diseases of the cardiovascular and lymphatic systems)
A. Malaria
1. Cause: Plasmodium
2. Transmission: mosquito
3. Symptoms:
a. caused by rupture of the infected RBC’s
b. fever in cycles of 48 or 72 hours
c. chills and fever
d. vomiting
e. severe headache
4. Treatment: quinine derivatives
5. Prevention: we need a vaccine
6. Location: Asia, Africa, Central and South America
7. Various facts:
a. two children die every minute during the time of our class
b. forms spores
B. Toxoplasmosis
1. Cause: Toxoplasma
2. Transmission: Complex life cycle involves cats
3. Symptoms:
a. most severe in immunosuppressed
4. Treatment:
5. Prevention: take care when cleaning litter boxes
6. Location:
7. Various facts:
a. forms spores
b. ELISA test to diagnose
VI Genitourinary Tract
A. Trichomoniasis
1. Cause: Trichomonas vaginalis (protozoan)
2. Transmission:
3. Symptoms: itching, discharge. Symptomatic in females.
4. Treatment: Metronidazole
5. Prevention:
6. Location:
7. Various facts:
a. has 2 flagella