1.

Protozoa
- Cysts: resting stage & infective form - Trophozoites: actively motile form, don’t survive outside the body & noninfectious form
Parasite Characteristics Transmission Morphology & Diagnosis Disease Treatment
Entamoeba Move by Contaminated - Trophozoites or cysts in stool - Ameobiasis: -Metronidazole
histolytica pseudopods water, fruits & - sharp central karyosome & fine - Amebic dysentery (blood and pus in stool) followed by
vegetables chromatin spokes - Flask shaped lesion in the small intestine, which Iodoquinol
can extend to the liver (abscess), peritoneum, brain,
lungs & heart.
Amoebas

-Produce pseudapendicitis.
Acanthomoe Contaminated -Star shaped cysts -Keratitis. -Topical
ba contact with -Granulomatous Amebic encephalitis: miconazole
lens solution Free living amoeba -Inflammatory necrosis of brain tissue. -Sulfadiazine
Naegleria Swimming & Free living Amoeba -primary amoebic meningoencephalitis: -
diving in - swimming  enter noose  cribriform plate Amphotericin
warm fresh (altered smell sensation)  meninges & brain  B ( not
water (brain eating amoeba) effective
usually)
Giardia Most prevalent Feco-oral - Trophozoites or cysts in stool - Giardiasis: -
lamblia enteric parasite (water born) - Fecal antigen test -Malodorous diarrhea (steatorrhea) due to Metronidazol
in the US from stream malabsorption. e
water -Ventral sucking disks attached to duodenal wall.
Trichomonas Alkalinity of STD and - Motile Trophozoites by wet mount - Trichomoniasis: -
vaginalis vagina increase fomites - frothy, yellow-green vaginal discharge Metronidazol
the risk (strawberry vagina) e
soma Trypano

cruzi -hemoflagellates -Reduviid bug -In human blood as - Chagas disease: -Found in
(infect bd& (kissing or trypomastigotes (has flagellum & -swelling around the eyes (Romana sign), Latin America
tissue) cone bug) by undulating membrane) inflammatory response to amastigotes. -Diagnosed
Flagellates

-disease follows implanting its -In tissue as Amastigotes (oval -Involvement of heart, muscle, liver, spleen & brain by Bd smear
inflammatory feces. cells having no flagellum or -lead to megacolon & megaesophagous. -Nifurtimox
response of undulating membrane
Brucei amastigotes saliva of Trypomastigotes - African sleeping sickness: Acute
Tsetse fly -Increase Ig levels in CSF - Fever, chills, anorexia, confusion & lethargy suramin
-Hemolymphatic disease Chronic
melarsoprol
Leishmania Sand fly bite -found always as amastigotes in - Cutaneous leishmaniosis: Stibogluconat
donovani macrophages in BM, spleen or liver. - Ulcerating skin sores that heals spontaneously e sodium
- Visceral leishmaniosis (Kalazar) - Mucocutaneous leishmaniosis (Leishmania braziliensis):
: -Most severe form of Leishmania, reconstruction of
-Mild asymptomatic the face, hard & soft palate w/ primary lesion at the
infection w/ site of bite.
hepatosplenomegaly &
LAP.
Vivax Remain in the -should get into the two hosts to be infectious: - 48 hour fever spikes & infected RBC shows Schuffner’s -Chloroquine
Apicomplexa

Plasmodium

liver and 1. human host: asexual schizogony phase (liver dots. (RBC stage)
Ovale cause relapse &RBC’s) - 48 hour fever spikes & infected RBC becomes Oval. -Primaquine
2. Arthropod host (mosquitoes): sexual stage. (liver stage)
Malaria Doesn’t * Life cycle: - 72 hour fever spikes & infected RBC shows Bar & bands -Chloroquine
remain in the Bite  blood  liver parenchyma form 1ry around it.
Falcipar liver tissue schizont  rupture  into RBC’s - Infected RBC shows crescent shaped gametes and -Resistant to
um (Erythrocytic schizont)  rupture of RBC (febrile multiple ring forms. chloroquine
cycle) - Cause malignant tertian malaria (others cause benign).
-Leads to anemia & agglutination of infected - Most severe form with irregular fever spikes
RBC’s.
 -HBS (protected against falciparum) - Cause cerebral malaria in children
–other hemoglobinopathies ( protected against all
species)
Toxoplasma - Cats are the - Serology (increase IgM levels). - Toxoplasmosis: Pyrimetham
definitive host - Maternal antibodies protect the After birth: Heterophil negative IM-like illness ine &
- Cat feces fetus (2ry infection doesn’t affect Primary infection during pregnancy: severe congenital sulfadiazine
- Pork the fetus. infection with intracranial calcification, chorioretinitis,
microcephaly & progressive blindness.
AIDS patients: CNS disease with ring enhancing lesion
Cryptosporidi -Undercooked -Round shaped acid fast cysts. - Cryptosporidiosis: -Self-limiting
um meat -Persistent watery diarrhea in AIDS patients
Cyclospora - Feco-oral -Spherical shaped acid fast oocyte. - Severe diarrhea in AIDS patients.
Microspora Same as
above
Isospora -Elliptical shaped acid fast cysts. - Severe diarrhea in AIDS patients. May lead to
malabsorption
Babesia - Co-infection Ixodes tick - Maltose-cross tetrad in RBC’s - Malaria like illness -
with Borrelia. clindamycin
e
2. Trematodes (flukes)
- leaf shaped worms ( flat & fleshy) - Primary host is snail -Eggs are used for diagnosis
Parasite Acquisition Morphology & Diagnosis Disease Treatment
Schistosoma - In people working in rice fields. -Eggs in stool (Sub terminal -Penetrate intact skin  mature in veins of mesentery  Praziquantel
mansoni -Contact with water infested with spine) eggs form granulomas in the liver  chronic hepatomegaly
/japonicum parasite -Cats , dogs & cattle
(Intestinal “reservoir”
Schistosoma)
Schistosoma - Contact with infested water -Eggs in stool (Terminal spine) - Penetrate intact skin  mature in veins of Bladder Praziquantel
hematobium - Penetrate intact skin -Primates “reservoir” (hematuria)  Bladder carcinoma (Egypt & Africa)
(Vesicular
Schistosoma)
Non-human - Humans are not the definitive -Birds in great lakes - Swimmers itch (dermatitis) for 2-3 days (treated by trimeprazine , calamine
Schistosoma host “reservoir” lotion & sedatives
Clonorchis sinensis - Raw fish ingestion -Dogs, cats & humans - Serum sickness-Like disease Praziquantel
(Chinese liver -Eggs in stool (Operculated
fluke) egg)
Fasciola hepatica - Ingestion of aquatic plants, -Sheep, cattle & humans - Subclinical (fever & malaise) Praziquantel
(Sheep liver fluke) watercress. -Eggs in stool
Fasciolopsis buski - Ingestion of aquatic plants, -Pigs, dogs, rabbits & humans - Abdominal pain & diarrhea Praziquantel
(Giant intestinal water chestnut. (The largest
fluke) fluke)
Paragonimus - Raw crabs -Humans & domestic animals - Inflammation of the lung (mimic TB) Praziquantel
westermani (Lung -Targets the lung - Blood tinged sputum (Organism found in sputum)
fluke)

3. Cystodes (Tapeworms)
- Head “scolex”: attach to the intestine (suction cups) -Neck “proglottids” -Proglottids that mature moves away from scolex & from the
 body - Diagnosed by proglottids or eggs in feces
Parasite Intermedi Definitive Transmission Diagnosis Disease & treatment
ate
Tinea saginata Cattle Humans Cysticercoids containing beef - Finding proglottids or - Asymptomatic to vague abdominal pain & chronic
ingestion eggs in feces indigestion
Tinea solium Pigs , Humans - Ingestion of pork contaminated - Finding proglottids or - Human as intermediate host:
Humans with cystcerci (definitive host). eggs in feces -More complicated disease
- Ingestion of eggs - Humans as definitive -Lead to cystocercosis
-TTT with Praziquantel or surgical host: Larva penetrate intestinal wall & migrate via
removal for cystocercosis. - Intestinal tapeworm the blood to brain (Neurocystocercosis), heart
, lungs & eyes
Diphyllobothrium Crustacea Humans & - Eating raw fish - Diagnosed by finding eggs - Intestinal tapeworm: associated with B12
latum ns & mammals - Drinking pound water or proglottids in feces. deficiency.
humans - Diagnosed by biopsy - Sparganosis: leading to penetration of larva.
Echinococcus Humans Cattles Ingestion of eggs (liver disease ) Hydatid cyst disease Albendazole
granulosis
Echinococcus Humans Dogs Ingestion of eggs Alveolar hydatid cysts &
multilocularis metastasis
4. Nematodes
Parasite Characteris Transmissi Diagnosis Disease Treatment
tics on
Entrobius Most frequent -Eggs  - Eggs: flattened sides with - goes out of the rectum at night to lay out eggs. Mebendazole
vermicularis helminth mature to larva inside May go into the vagina
infection in the adults in the - Scotch tape technique Highly contagious
US intestine
- p-to-p
-Autoinfection
Trichoris trichura Resembles a Ingestion of -Worm in the prolapsed rectum Lead to prolapsed rectum & appendicitis Albendazole
(Whip worm) Whip the Egg -Barrel shaped eggs with
bipolar plugs
Ascaris Most common Ingestion of Knobby eggs in feces Ascaris: -Mebendazole
lumbricoides worldwide eggs - Ingestion of the egg Larva migrate through lungs -Support
Largest round “pneumonitis”  swallowing of the larva mature in -Surgery for
worm the intestine ectopic migration
-May obstruct intestine or bile ducts
Toxocara canis/cati Infect cat & dogs Egg Visceral larva migrans: Mebendazole
(doesn’t ingestion - Larva wanders inside human body until they die Surgery
complete life from -lead to intestinal inflammation. S&S depends in the
cycle in humans) handling of site of worm.
puppies
5. Hook worms
Parasite Transmission Diagnosis Disease Other name
Necator Larva penetrate intact skin - Eggs in stool - Lung migration  Treatment  Mebendazole New world worm
americanus (waling barefoot on the beach - Occult blood in stool pneumonitis & iron replacement
Ancylostoma - Blood sucking  anemia Old world worm
duodenale
Ancylostoma Larva penetrate intact skin Treatment by Ivermectin - Cutaneous larva migrans: Dog hookworm
Brazilians Can’t complete the lifecycle in - Tunnels through tissues leading to severe itching
Ancylostoma humans Cat hookworm
caninum
Strongyloides Penetrate intact skin Larva in stool (TTT  - Bloody stool, malabsorption with recurrence by Thread worm
stercoralis Thiabendazole) autoinfection
Trichonella spiralis - Ingestion of pork & meat with - Clinical diagnosis Trichinosis: Mebendazole
viable larva - Biopsy -Larva encysts in muscles (Muscle pain Steroids
- Wild game ( bear hunting) - Fever, myalgia, splinter hemorrhage, preorbitaldema &
eosinophilia
Wuchereria - Mosquito injects infected - Clinical Elephantiasis: -
bancrofti, brugia juvenile when it feeds - Microfilariae in blood -Lymphangitis, lymphadenitis, fever & lymphedema Diethylcarbamazi
ne
-Surgery
Loa loa (African Biting flies Clinical African eye worm: -
eye worm) -doesn’t cause blindness, migration is painless & Diethylcarbamazi
remain unnoticeable unless it reaches the ne
conjunctiva or nose bridge
Onchocerca Black fly bite Skin clipping from nodules & River blindness: -Ivermectin
volvulus finding microfilariae -Non painful nodules, skin inflammation & blindness -Surgical
removal
Dracunculus Ingestion of water containing Clinical Ulcerating skin formation then the worm comes out -Metronidazole
medinensis infected copepods -Worm removal