NEW ERA UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY

CLINICAL PARASITOLOGY LABORATORY
Name: Herna, Erin Jonah F. Student Number: 22-11155-229 Score:_________________
Section: 2CMT-4 Class Schedule: T 10AM-1PM Date Submitted:_______________
INTRODUCTION TO PARASITOLOGY and DIAGNOSTIC PARASITOLOGY WORKSHEET
derived from the Diagnostic Parasitology Book of Bernardo and
Fontilla General Instructions to the students:
1. Copy and paste the contents of this worksheet on another MS Word if in case that the
spaces provided in each item/table is not enough.
2. For Illustrations/drawings, you may scan or screen captures your drawings then paste it on
the provided squares.
3. Do not forget to copy and fill out the important student’s details above, and save the
worksheets in a PDF File.
4. Indicate your references (i.e. books, websites and journals.)

DIRECTION: Answer the following questions:

1. Differentiate the types of parasites by filling up the table below:
Type of Parasite Description Example
Ectoparasite  Ectoparasites are parasites that live on the Lice
external surface of hosts and are in direct contact
with the external environment.
Endoparasite  Endoparasites are parasites which live inside a Hookworms
host and generally inhabit areas such as the gut,
lungs, heart and blood vessels.
Obligate Parasites  An obligate parasite is a parasite that depends Tapeworms
completely on the host for its habitat,
nourishment, reproduction, and survival.
 Without the host, it will not survive and eventually
die.
Facultative Parasite  A facultative parasite is an organism that may Toxoplasma
resort to parasitic activity, but does not absolutely gondii
rely on any host for completion of its life cycle
Accidental  Accidental parasites are those that attack or Blood fluke
Parasites establish themselves in unusual hosts (hosts that
they do not normally parasitize).
Monoxenous  Monoxenous development, or monoxeny, Entamoeba
Parasites characterizes a parasite whose development is histolytica
restricted to a single host species.
Heteroxenous  Heteroxeny, or heteroxenous development, Frenkelia
Parasites characterizes a parasite whose development
involves several host species.
2. Differentiate the types of hosts by filling up the table below:
Type of Host Description Example
Intermediate Host  1st Intermediate Host – It is the first host The mosquito
parasitized by the larval stages of the parasite. injects
 2nd Intermediate Host – It is the host parasitized plasmodium
by larval stages at a later period in the life cycle sporozites when
after certain development in the first intermediate it bites the human
host. skin, thus
transferring the
parasite to the
new human host.
Definitive Host  It is the host which harbors the adult stage of the The mosquito
parasite. ingests the
 The parasite attains sexual maturity in it. plasmodium
gametocytes
when it feeds on
to human blood.
Paratenic Host  It is the host which harbors the larval stage of the Freshwater
parasite. shrimp,
 It is the host which harbor the immature stage of flatworms, and
the parasite frogs.
Reservoir Host  It is a vertebrate host in which parasite or disease Duck and goose
occurs naturally. reservoirs may
 Host harbor the parasite but it does not produce transmit the avian
any harm to host. influenza virus to
susceptible
chickens through
close contact
while co-grazing
or when sharing
water sources.
Accidental Host  A host organism that shelters the parasite, but Humans with fish
since it can't progress the life cycle development, parasites (likely a
it is dead-end for it. result of diet),
and ticks

3. Differentiate the direct and indirect life cycle.

 Direct Life Cycle – a life cycle in which a parasite is transmitted directly from one host to the next
without an intermediate host or vector of another species.
 Indirect Life Cycle – require different types of hosts or vectors (intermediate host) for various
stages of their life cycle.
4. Draw and Label an example of a Direct Life Cycle.

5. Draw and Label an example of an Indirect Life Cycle.

6. Differentiate Sarcomastigophora, Ciliophora and Apicomplexa.

 Sarcomastigophora – uses flagella or pseudopodia for locomotion.
 Ciliophora – characterized by the presence of cilia, short hair-like structures used for movement.
 Apicomplexa – non-motile in their mature stages, although some have a gliding motility during
certain life stages.
7. Draw and Label the parts of an example of at least three (3) Sarcomastigophora parasites.
8. Draw and Label the parts of an example of at least three (3) Apicomplexan parasites.

9. Differentiate Nematodes, Trematodes and Cestodes. Give at least five (5) examples each
Nematodes Cestodes
Morphology Trematodes (flukes)
(roundworms) (tapeworms)
Shape Cylindrical Unsegmented plane Segmented plane
Body Cavity Present No No
Body Covering Cuticle Tegument Tegument
Digestive Tube Ends in anus Ends in cecum No
Most are dioecious; Hermaphroditic, except
Sex Parthenogenesis also schistosomes which are Hermaphroditic
exists in some dioecious
Lips, teeth, filariform
Attachment Sucker or bothridia and Oral sucker and ventral
extremities, and
Origins rostellum with hooks sucker or acetabulum
dentary plates
Ascaris lumbricoides, Fasciola hepatica, blood- Taenia, echinococcus,
Examples toxocara canis, trichuris, flukes, schistosomatidae, hymenolepis,
anisakis, roundworm digenea, leucochloridium spirometra, eucestoda
10. Draw and label the scolex, neck, and proglottids of a tapeworm.
11. Draw and label the parts of an adult trematode.

12. Draw and label the parts of the buccal capsule of a hookworm.

13. Draw a helminth egg and a protozoan cyst.

14. Enumerate and discuss the portals of entry of the parasites.
 Inhalation – through the respiratory tract
 Absorption – through mucous membranes such as the eyes
 Ingestion – through the gastrointestinal tract
 Inoculation – as the result of an inoculation injury
 Introduction – through the insertion of medical devices.
15. Differentiate Infection and Infestation.
 Infection – refers to the process or state of being infected with a disease caused by protozoa,
fungi, bacteria, and viruses.
 Infestation – refers to parasitic diseases caused by animals such as arthropods and worms
16. Enumerate and discuss the sources of and exposure to Parasitic Infection and Infestation.
1. Soil-Transmitted Group (STH – Soil Transmitted Helminths)
 These parasites require further development in the soil before they become infective.
 Soil polluted with human excreta is usually responsible for exposure to infection.
 Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura, Hookworms
2. Snail-Transmitted Group
 These groups requires further development within the body of snail, which serves as their
intermediate host before they can become infective.
 Flukes (Trematodes)
3. Arthropod-Transmitted Group
 Some species of insects act as vectors of parasitic diseases such as mosquitoes, sand fly,
and Tsetse fly.
 Vectors are organism that transmit parasites to man and may serve as intermediate host or
definitive host to some parasite.
 There are two types of vectors:
1. Biological vector – essential in the life cycle
2. Mechanical/Phoretic vector – not essential in the life cycle
4. Animal/Food-Transmitted Group
 These groups requires further development in the flesh of some animals that man consume.
 Raw pork may be a source of infection with Trichinella spiralis and Taenia solium while raw
beef may be a source of Taenia saginata.
5. Contact-Transmitted Group
 Person to person transmission, wherein the parasites require no further development and are
readily infective.
 Enterobius vermicularis and Trichomonas vaginalis
6. One’s self (Autoinfection)
 In this case, the infected person is his own source of re-exposure.
 There are two types of autoinfection: external and internal.
 Enterobius vermicularis and Strongyloides stercoralis
17. Fill out the table below: Examples of parasites that can be seen in specimens collected from
various body sites.
Body Site Specimen/s Parasite/s that can be seen

Circulating Blood Human blood smear malaria plasmodia, microfilaria

species, trypanosomes
Bone Marrow Bone marrow trephine biopsy Visceral leishmaniasis

Cerebrospinal Fluid CSF sample amoebiasis, trypano somiasis,

filiariasis, paragonimiasis, tox
oplasmosis, schistosomiasis
Eye Conjunctival and corneal swabs and gnathostomiasis, loiasis,
smears onchocerciasis, toxocariasis, and
ocular cysticercosis
Intestinal Tract Stool sample Giardia intestinalis, Entamoeba
histolytica, Cyclospora
cayetanenensis, and
Cryptosporidium spp
Liver and Spleen Liver biopsy Echinococcus spp., liver flukes,
Ascaris lumbricoides and
Entamoeba histolytica
Central Nervous formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded Cysticercosis, toxoplasmosis,
System (FFPE) tissue blocks echinococcosis and schistosomiasis
Lung Lung biopsy paragonimiasis, schistosomiasis,
ascariasis, hookworm infestations,
dirofilariasis, tropical pulmonary
eosinophilia, toxocariasis,
amoebiasis and malignant tertian
malaria
Lymph node Lymph tissue biopsy Wuchereria bancrofti, Brugia malayi

Muscle Muscle biopsy Trichinella spiralis

Skin Skin biopsy Sarcoptes scabei, Demodex

species, Tunga penetrans, and
myiasis-causing fly larvae
Cutaneous ulcer Edge biopsy leishmaniases

Urogenital system Urine sample Trichomonas, Schistosoma

hematobium and Microfilaria