Protozoa
Protozoa
Protozoa
TO
UNIT THREE
PROTOZOA
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What are Protozoa?
kingdom Protists
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Protozoa…
In addition may possess
Pseudopodia,
Flagella &
Cilia as organ of locomotion.
Single protozoal cell performs all the functions of
Respiration
Digestion
Excretion
Locomotion and
Reproduction
• These organisms occur generally as a single cell
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Reproduction types
Asexual multiplication:
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Sexual reproduction
A. Conjugation
In this process temporary union of two individuals occurs
during which the interchange of nuclear material takes place.
Later on, the two individuals separate.
B. Syngamy
In this process, sexually differentiated cells, called gametes,
unite permanently and complete fusion of the nuclear
material takes place.
The resulting product is known as a zygote.
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Cont’d…
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Taxonomic classification of protozoa
Sub kingdom Phylum Sub-phylum Genus- examples Species- examples
hora by pseudopodia
further divided into
Spore-forming
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Intestinal protozoa
Amoeba: Flagellates:
* Entamoeba histolytica * Giardia lamblia
• Entamoeba dispar • Dientamoeba fragilis
• Entamoeba coli • Chilomastix mesnili
• Entamoeba hartmanni • Trichomonas hominis
• Endolimax nana • Enteromonas hominis
• Retortamonas intestinalis
Apicomplexa: Other:
**Cryptosporidium hominis • Blastocystis hominis
**Cryptosporidium parvum *Balantidium coli
**Cyclospora cayetanensis
**Isospora belli
* Pathogenic
** Opportunistic
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COMMON CHARACTERSTICS
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Sarcodina- amoeba
Characteristics:
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Six species in the large intestine
E. histolytica
E. coli
E. dispar
E. hartmanni
Endolimax nana
Iodamoeba bütschlii
One species in the oral cavity
E. gingivalis
• Two species have been found as pathogenic free living
(facultative parasite) amoeba: Naegleria fowleri and
Acanthamoeba cephalus
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Entamoeba histolytica
Cause amoebiasis (amoebic dysentery and liver
abscess)
Only a few strains are pathogenic
Morphology
Trophozoite:
Has one nucleus and pseudopodium
The invasive strain possess RBCs
Cyst:
Immature cyst possess one or two nucleus and inclusion
bodies
Mature cyst possess four nuclei
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Epidemiology
Distributed worldwide
Incidence is highest in tropical and sub tropical regions
90% of infections are asymptomatic
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Life cycle
After ingestion the cyst passes through the stomach, where
exposure to gastric acid stimulates the release of pathogenic
trophozoite in the duodenum.
intestinal amoebiasis
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Pathogenesis and pathology of amebiasis
• Non-invasive
• ameba colony on intestinal mucosa
• asymptomatic cyst passer
• non-dysenteric diarrhea, abdominal cramps, other
GI symptoms
• Invasive
• necrosis of mucosa ulcers, dysentery
• ulcer enlargement severe dysentery, colitis,
• peritonitis
• flasked-shaped ulcer
• Metastasis/ spreading extra-intesinal
amebiasis
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Clinical features
Wasting and
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flasked-shaped ulcer
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Laboratory diagnosis
1. Stool examination
Examination of a fresh dysenteric fecal specimen
for motile E. histolytica trophozoite and cyst
Treatment
Tinidazole (drug of choice)
Metronidazole (alternative drug)
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Prevention and control
Personal hygiene
Health education
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Flagellates
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Intestinal,urogenital & oral flagellates
• Intestinal Flagellates:
• Urogenital flagellates
• Trichomonas vaginalis
• Oral flagellates
• Trichomonas tenax
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General characterstics
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1. Giardia lamblia
Trophozoite stage
Typical Characteristics:
Size range: 8-20 um
Shape: Pear/teardrop
Motility : “Falling leaf”
Appearance: Bilaterally symmetrical
Nuclei: Two ovoidal-shaped, each
with a large Karyosome
No peripheral chromatin
Flagella: Four pairs arising from the ventral side:
-One pair anterior end
-One pair posterior end
-Two pairs central laterally
Habitat
• Small intestine ( duodenum & jejunum)
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Epidemology
• Worldwide distribution
• Giardiasis
• Often asymptomatic
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Fecal-oral transmission factors
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Life Cycle of G. lamblia
2. When cyst is ingested, the organisms escape from the cyst in the
duodenum.
Possible Mechanisms
• Mechanical irritation
• Obstruction of absorption
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Out come of giardiasis May be :
Asymptomatic/latent
Acute short-lasting diarrhea
Chronic/nutritional disorders
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Acute symptoms
Develops after an incubation period of 1 to 14 days and usually lasts
1 to 3 weeks
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Laboratory Diagnosis:
• Macroscopic examination
• Stool is usually offensive, bulky, pale, mucoid (fatty),
diarrheic (watery) but there is no blood in the stool.
• Microscopy
• Finding the trophozoite stages in fresh diarrheic stool
• Finding the trophozoite stages in duodenal aspirate…..for
children
• Finding cyst stage in formed stool
• Immunological methods
• Molecular methods…PCR
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Treatment Prevention and Control
General feature
• Inhabit the urogenital tract of male and female
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Trichomonas vaginalis
-Common STD
• Co-infection with other STDs
• More prevalent in at risk groups
• Both sexes equally susceptible
• symptoms more common in females
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Life cycle
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Pathology
Inflammation
Erosion
Discharge
Itching, burning
Urethritis, dysuria
Dermatitis
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Clinical manifestations
In females:
• Ranges from asymptomatic to mild or moderate irritation, to
extreme vaginitis
• 50-75% abnormal discharge (frothy, yellowish or greenish)
• 25-50% pruritus
• 50% painful coitus
• Onset or exacerbation often associated with menstruation or
pregnancy
• Vaginal erythema, ‘strawberry cervix’
In males
• 50-90% are asymptomatic
• Mild dysuria or pruritus
• Minor urethral discharge
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Laboratory diagnosis
Treatment
• Metronidazole
Prevention
• Use condoms
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Blood and Tissue flagellates
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General Characteristics of blood and tissue flagellates
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Genus Leishmania
• In the human host, Leishmania are intracellular parasites that infect the
mononuclear phagocytes
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Geographical distribution
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The following are the main developmental forms
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• Leishmaniasis can easily classified clinically as
• Visceral leishmaniasis
• Cutaneous leishmaniasis
• Mucocutaneous leishmaniasis
• Diffuse cutaneous leishmaniasis
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These different forms of the disease is caused by the
different species of Leishmania
• 1.Cutaneous • 3.Mucocutaneous
leishmaniasis(CL) leishmaniasis (MCL)
• L. tropica
• L. major L. panamensis
• L. aethiopica L. guyanensis
• L. panamensis L. Brazilliensis
L. aethiopica
• L. guyanensis
• L. Peruviana
• 4. Diffuse cutaneous
• 2. Visceral leishmaniasis(VL)
leishmaniasis (DCL)
• L. donovani
• L. infantum L. amzonensis
• L. Chagasi
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L. aethiopica
Clinical features and pathology
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Cutaneous Leishmaniasis
• Caused by L. Mexicana)
• Incubation period: 2 weeks to
several months
• Initially, the lesion is a small,
red papule up to 2 cm in
diameter
• Chronic ulcerated, papular, or
nodular lesion
• Lesion is painless, non-
tender, non- pruritic and
usually clean(Chiclero
Ulcer)
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Diffuse Cutaneous Leishmaniasis
• Caused by L.aethiopica
• Lesion develop over large
areas of the body
• Scaly, not ulcerated,
nodules
• Chronic and painless
• Numerous parasites in
lesions
• Seldom/ rarely heal
despite treatment
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Mucocutaneous Leishmaniasis (espudia)
Caused by L. braziliensis
• Two stages
-Simple skin lesion
-2o mucosal involvement
• Metastasis via blood or lymphatic
systems
• Can occur long after primary lesion
(up to 16 years)
• Frequently in naso-pharyngeal
mucosa
• Junction of skin and mucosa
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Visceral Leishmaniasis (Kalazar/dum dum fever )
Caused by the Leishmania donovani complex,
• Reticuloendothelial system affected
• Spleen, liver, bone marrow, lymph nod
• Progressive disease
• 75-95% mortality if untreated
• death generally within 2 years
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• Profile view of a teenage boy
suffering from visceral
leishmaniasis.
• The boy exhibits splenomegaly,
distended abdomen and severe
muscle wasting.
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Diagnosis of CL, MCL, DCL
• It is suspected because of:
• Geographical presence of parasite/ vector
• History of sand fly bite
• Positive skin lesion:
• Chronic, painless, ‘clean’ ulcer
• Nasopharyngeal lesions
• Nodular lesions
1. Demonstration of parasite amastigotes (skin snip
scrapings, biopsy, aspirates)
2. Culture from ulcer material
3. Serology
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Diagnosis of Visceral leishmaniasis
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Treatment
Treatment
• Pentamidine isethionate
• Amphotericin B
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Prevent and control
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2. Genus Trypanosoma
General features
-Actively motile flagellated protozoa that live in blood and
lymph node
-Require insect vector : tsetse fly, bug
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Habitat : blood, Lymph channel throughout the body, CSF,
Connective tissue, brain.
Mode of Transmission:
1. Bite of infected tsetse fly
2. Congenital
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Pathology and clinical features
Mechanism of pathogenesis
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Anemia .A due to red blood cell lysis
The disease has generally three stages:
1. Bite stage
Itchy chancre will develop and lasts for1-2 weeks with out
leaving scare
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2. Parasitemia stage
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3. CNS stage
In the later stage of infection parasites passes blood brain barrier
and infect CNS
• Parasitemia-low/variable • Parasitemia-high
• Mortality -100% if left untreated • Mortality -100% if left untreated
• Asymptomatic carrier common • Asymptomatic carrier rare
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Laboratory diagnosis
All four of these drugs are provided free of charge by the World
Health Organization through public and private partnerships with
pharmaceutical firms.
o Removal of vegetation
o Spraying of insecticides
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Quize
• 1. Intestinal amoebiasis in large bowel is characterized by:
A. Atrophy of villi. C. Constipation.
B. Obstruction of intestine. D. Flask-like ulceration
• 2. Which one is correctly matched regarding to the infective stages
trypanosomiasis parasitic infection
A. Trypomastigote – human
B. Metacyclic trypomastigote- human
C. Metacyclic trypomastogote - tsetsefly
D. Amastigote -tsetsefly
• 3. Bloody stool is a clinical presentation in infection with:
A. G. lambilia B. E. histolytica C. I. beli D. T.gondi
By: Ahmednur .A