STUDY GUIDE - SUMMARY OF MEDICALLY IMPORTANT PARASITE-INDUCED

DISEASES
Protozoan Etiology
Life cycle stages in humans
Disease
(Etiologic agent)

Infective
Stage

Amebiasis
(Entamoeba
histolytica)

Cyst

Location of
pathogenic
stage

Laboratory diagnosis based primarily

on identification of:

Drugs used
in treatment

Large intestine,
extraintestinal

Cysts and trophozoitesstool

Trophozoitestissue biopsy

Luminal amebiasis
Diiodohydroxyquinoline
(Iodoquinol)
Invasive amebiasis
Metronidazole (Flagyl)

Balantidiasis
(Balantidium coli)

Cyst

Large intestine

Cysts and trophozoitesstool

Trophozoitesrectal biopsy

Tetracycline
Diiodohydroxyquinoline
(Iodoquinol)

Giardiasis
(Giardia lamblia)

Small intestine

Cysts and trophozoitesstool

Trophozoiteduodenal aspirate

Metronidazole

Cyst

Cryptosporidiosis
(Cryptosporidium
sp)

Small and
Large intestine

Oocyststool

None satisfactory

Oocyst

Cyclospora
(Cyclospora
cayetanensis)

Small and
Large intestine

Oocyststool

Oocyst

Trimethoprim
+Sulfamethoxazole

SUMMARY OF MEDICALLY
IMPORTANT PARASITE-INDUCED DISEASES

SUMMARY OF MEDICALLY IMPORTANT PARASITE-INDUCED DISEASES

Protozoan Etiology (Contd)
Life cycle stages in humans
Disease
(Etiologic agent)

Infective
Stage

Location of
pathogenic
stage

Laboratory diagnosis based primarily

on identification of:

Drugs used
in treatment

Malaria
Plasmodium vivax
P. falciparum
P. malariae
P. ovale

Sporozoite
(injected by
mosquito)

Liver
(primary
schizogony)

Blood smears (RBC stages)

Uncomplicated
P. falciparum
Artemesininbased
combination

RBC
(Schizogonic
cycle)

Severe
falciparum
Artemesinin,
quinine or
quinidine
Others
Variety of
options

Toxoplasmosis
(Toxoplasma gondii)

Proliferative
form
(congenital)
Cyst (postnatal)

Various
R.E. and
parenchymal
cells

Serology

Pyrimethamine
+Sulfadiazine

Amebic
meningoencephalitis
(Naegleria fowleri)

Trophozoite

Brain

Clinical indications

None
Satisfactory

Trichomomiasis
(Trichomonas
vaginalis)

Trophozoite

Genitourinary tract

Trophozoite (vaginal discharge or

urine)

Metronidazole
(Flagyl)

Trypanosomiasis
(Trypanosoma
brucei, T. cruzi)

Metacyclic
trypomastigote

Bloodstream

Blood smears

T. brucei
Suramin,
pentamidine,
melarsoprol
T. cruzi
Benzimidazole,
Nifurtimox

SUMMARY OF MEDICALLY
IMPORTANT PARASITE-INDUCED DISEASES

SUMMARY OF MEDICALLY IMPORTANT PARASITE-INDUCED DISEASES

Nematode Etiology

Life cycle stages in humans

Disease
(Etiologic agent)

Infective
Stage

Location of
pathogenic
stage

Laboratory diagnosis based primarily on

identification of:

Drugs used
in treatment

Pinworm infection
(Enterobius
vermicularis)

Egg

Large
intestine

Identification of eggs on perianal surfaces

(scotch tape test

Pyrantel
pamoate or
Mebendazole
(Vermox)

Whipworm
infection
(Trichuris
trichiura)

Egg

Large
intestine

Stool specimens
Eggs

Mebendazole
Adult

Ascariasis
(Ascaris
lumbricoides)

Egg

Small
intestine

Stool specimens
Eggs

Adults

Hookworm disease
(Ancylostoma
duodenale,
Necator
americanus)

Larva
(soil)

Small
intestine

Stool specimen
Eggs

Adult

Mebendazole

Mebendazole

SUMMARY OF MEDICALLY
IMPORTANT PARASITE-INDUCED DISEASES

SUMMARY OF MEDICALLY IMPORTANT PARASITE-INDUCED DISEASES

Nematode Etiology (Contd)

Life cycle stages in humans

Disease
(Etiologic agent)

Infective
Stage

Location of
pathogenic
stage

Laboratory diagnosis based primarily

on identification of:

Drugs used
in treatment

Strongyloidiasis
(Strongyloides
stercoralis)

Larva
(soil
autoinfection)

Small
intestine

Larvae (stool exam, duodenal aspirate)

Ivermectin
Thiabendazole

Trichinosis
(Trichinella
spiralis)

Larva
(infected
meat)

Small
intestine
early, muscle
late

Encysted larvae (muscle biopsy),

serology

Antiinflammatory
agents
Salicylates
Corticosteroids

Visceral larva
migrans
(Toxocara canis)

Egg

Various
tissues, liver,
lung, eye,
brain

Serology

Mebendazole

Cutaneous larva
migrans
(Ancylostoma
brasiliensis, A.
caninum)

Filariform
Larvae (soil)

Skin

Clinical indications

Thiabendazole

SUMMARY OF MEDICALLY
IMPORTANT PARASITE-INDUCED DISEASES

SUMMARY OF MEDICALLY IMPORTANT PARASITE-INDUCED DISEASES

Tapeworm Etiology

Life cycle stages in humans

Disease
(Etiologic agent)

Infective
Stage

Location
of
pathogenic
stage

Laboratory diagnosis based primarily on

identification of:

Drugs used
in treatment

Beef tapeworm
infection
(Taenia saginata)

Larva
(infected
beef)

Small
intestine

Stool specimen
Eggs

Proglottids

Praziquantel
Niclosamide

Pork tapeworm
infection
(Taenia solium)

Larva
(infected
pork)

Small
intestine

Stool specimen
Eggs

Proglottids

Praziquantel
Niclosamide

Rat tapeworm
infection
(Hymenolepis
diminuta)

Larva
(infected
flea)

Small
intestine

Stool specimen

Praziquantel
Niclosamide

Dwarf tapeworm
infection
(Hymenolepis nana)

Egg

Small
intestine

Stool specimen
Eggs

Praziquantel
Niclosamide

SUMMARY OF MEDICALLY
IMPORTANT PARASITE-INDUCED DISEASES

SUMMARY OF MEDICALLY IMPORTANT PARASITE-INDUCED DISEASES

Tapeworm Etiology (Contd)

Life cycle stages in humans

Disease
(Etiologic agent)

Infective
Stage

Location of
pathogenic
stage

Laboratory diagnosis based primarily

on identification of:

Drugs used
in treatment

Dog tapeworm infection

(Dipylidium caninum)

Larva
(infected
flea)

Small
intestine

Stool specimen
Eggs

Praziquantel
Niclosamide

Fish Tapeworm infection

(Diphyllobothrium latum)

Larva
(infected
fish)

Small
intestine

Stool specimen
Eggs

Cysticercosis
(Taenia solium)

Egg

Various
tissues

Serology, X-ray, CT, MRI

Albendazole

Sparganosis
(Spirometra mansonoides)

Larva
(in
copepod)

Primarily
subcutaneous
tissue and
muscle facia

Clinical indications

None
satisfactory

Hydatid disease
(Echinococcus granulosus)

Egg

Various
tissues

Serology, X-ray, CT, MRI

Albendazole

Proglottids

Proglottids

Dogs are definitive host,

humans are accidental hosts.

SUMMARY OF MEDICALLY
IMPORTANT PARASITE-INDUCED DISEASES

Praziquantel
Niclosamide

SUMMARY OF MEDICALLY IMPORTANT PARASITE-INDUCED DISEASES

Trematode Etiology

Life cycle stages in humans

Disease
(Etiologic agent)

Infective
Stage

Location of
pathogenic
stage

Laboratory diagnosis based primarily on

identification of:

Drugs used
in treatment

Schistosomiasis
(Schistosoma mansoni)

Cercaria

Mostly
inferior
mesenteric
veins

Eggs (stool exam, rectal biopsy)

Praziquantel

Schistosoma japonicum

Cercaria

Mostly
superior
mesenteric
veins

Eggs (stool exam, rectal biopsy)

Praziquantel

Schistosoma hematobium

Cercaria

Vesicular
veins

Eggs (urine, bladder and rectal biopsy)

Praziquantel

Swimmers Itch
Cercarial dermatitis
(Various species of nonhuman schistosomes)

Cercaria

Skin

Clinical indications

None
specific

SUMMARY OF MEDICALLY
IMPORTANT PARASITE-INDUCED DISEASES