“TOXOPLASMOSIS”

(toxoplasma gondii)

Definition: Toxoplasmosis is an infection caused by a single-celled parasite called Toxoplasma gondii. The infection is most commonly acquired from contact with cats and their feces or with raw or undercooked meat.
Causative Agent: Toxoplasma Gondii, protozoan
Means of Transmission: Orally and congenitally
Reservoirs: Cats (preferred reservoir), birds and mammals (intermediate host), Humans (intermediate host)
Diagnosis: "Fecal exams [in cats] are essentially useless, since the eggs they shed are only present in the feces for the first 2-3 weeks" (1). "The current lab test only indicates exposure to toxoplasmosis not the presence of an active infection." (1). "The history, signs of illness, and the supportive laboratory tests" will lead to a diagnosis (2). "A presumptive diagnosis may be made by demonstration of a fourfold or greater increase in antibody titers" (2). The uses of ELISA, western blot and latex agglutination tests have reliable results (4). Mainly the only people that really need to be tested for this disease are AIDS patients, immunosuppressed, and infants at birth.
Symptoms: "Respiratory involvement is common in cats with both primary and secondary forms of the disease" (1). Fever, malaise, weight loss, and lack of appetite are common symptoms of this form (1). You have these symptoms in addition to vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal lymph node enlargement (1).
Signs of Disease: The disease can become latent. All exposed to this disease will have a chronic infection. Those that become immunosuppressed could have a reinfection occur.

“AMEBIASIS”

Definition: Amebiasis is caused by Entamoeba histolytica, a protozoan that is found worldwide. The highest prevalence of amebiasis is in developing countries where barriers between human feces and food and water supplies are inadequate.
Causative Agent: Entamoeba histolytica
Means of Transmission: fecal-oral route, indirectly through contact with dirty hands or objects and by anal-oral contact.
Reservoirs: Humans and non-human primates
Diagnosis: A doctor may suspect amebiasis after asking about your recent health and travel history. Your doctor may test you for the presence of E. histolytica. You may have to give stool samples over several days to screen for the presence of cysts. Your doctor may order lab tests to check liver function, which can help determine if the ameba has damaged your liver.If damage to your internal organs is a concern, your doctor will probably order an ultrasound or CT scan to check for lesions on your liver. If lesions appear, your doctor may need to perform a needle aspiration to see if the liver has any abscesses. An abscess in the liver is a serious consequence of amebiasis. Finally, a colonoscopy may be necessary to check for the presence of the parasite in your intestinal or colon tissue.
Signs and Symptoms: Most people with this infection do not have symptoms. If symptoms occur, they are seen 7 to 28 days after being exposed to the parasite. Mild symptoms includes : Abdominal cramps, diarrhea (Passage of 3 to 8 semi formed stools per day, or passage of soft stools with mucus and occasional blood), fatigue, excessive gas, rectal pain while having a bowel movement (tenesmus), unintentional weight loss. stools with streaks of blood, passage of 10 to 20 stools per day, fever, vomiting
Severe symptoms may include: Abdominal tenderness, bloody stools, including passage of liquid

“GIARDIASIS”

(giardia lamblia)
Definition: Giardiasis (popularly known as beaver fever)[1] is a zoonotic parasitic disease caused by the flagellate protozoan Giardia lamblia (also sometimes called Giardia intestinalis and Giardia duodenalis).[2] The giardia organism inhabits the digestive tract of a wide variety of domestic and wild animal species, as well as humans. It is the most common pathogenic parasitic infection in humans worldwide; in 2013, there were about 280 million people worldwide with symptomatic giardiasis
Causative Agent: Giardia Lamblia
Mode of Transmission: Giardiasis is transmitted via the fecal-oral route with the ingestion of cysts. Primary routes are personal contact and contaminated water and food. The cysts can stay infectious for up to three months in cold water. Not all Giardia infections are symptomatic, and many people can unknowingly serve as carriers of the parasite.
Reservoir: humans, animals and contaminated water
Diagnosis: Your doctor will ask you to submit one or more stool samples for testing. The samples will be checked for giardia parasites. You might also be asked to submit more samples during treatment. Your doctor might also perform an enteroscopy, which involves running a flexible tube down your throat and into your small intestine in order to examine your digestive tract and perhaps take a tissue sample.
Signs and Symptoms: symptoms of giardiasis generally show up one or two weeks after exposure. Common symptoms include: fatigue, nausea, diarrhea or greasy stools, loss of appetite, vomiting, bloating and abdominal cramps, weight loss, excessive gas, headaches, abdominal pain.

“TRICHOMONIASIS”

(trichomonas vaginalis)
Definition: Trichomoniasis is a common cause of vaginitis. It is a sexually transmitted infection, and is caused by the single-celled protozoan parasite Trichomonas vaginalis producing mechanical stress on host cells and then ingesting cell fragments after cell death. Trichomoniasis is primarily an infection of the urogenital tract; the most common site of infection is the urethra and the vagina in women.
Causative Agent: Trichomonas Vaginalis
Mode of Transmission: Commonly spread through sexual contact with vaginal or urethral discharges of infected persons, and transmission of organisms via artificial insemination of infected cryobanked semen is also possible. Non-sexual transmission is rare but has been observed in cases involving contaminated douche nozzles, moist wash-clothes, specula, or toilet seats. Transmission to newborn infants from infected mothers is possible and is observed in 2 - 17% of cases, and can result in urinary tract or vaginal infections.
Reservoir: humans
Diagnosis: To diagnose trichomoniasis, a doctor must perform a physical exam and lab test. Lab tests are performed on a sample of vaginal fluid or urethral fluid to look for the disease-causing parasite. The parasite is harder to detect in men than in women.
Signs and Symptoms: Men often do not have symptoms of trichomoniasis and usually do not know they are infected until their partners need treatment. But when symptoms do occur, they include: Irritation inside the penis, Mild discharge, Slight burning after urination or ejaculation.
Many women do have signs or symptoms of infection. Symptoms in women can include:Greenish-yellow, frothy vaginal discharge with a strong odor, Painful urination, Vaginal itching and irritation, Discomfort during intercourse, Lower abdominal pain (rare).

“AFRICAN SLEEPING SICKNESS”

(trypanosoma brucei)

Definition: African Trypanosomiasis, also known as "sleeping sickness," is caused by microscopic parasites of the species Trypanosoma brucei. It is transmitted by the tsetse fly (Glossina species), which is found only in rural Africa. Although the infection is not found in the United States, historically, it has been a serious public health problem in some regions of sub-Saharan Africa. Currently, about 10,000 new cases each year are reported to the World Health organization; however, it is believed that many cases go undiagnosed and unreported. Sleeping sickness is curable with medication, but is fatal if left untreated.
Causative Agent: Trypanosoma brucei
Mode of Transmission: through the bite of infected tsetse flies
Reservoir: Humans, animals (Domestic cattle, antelopes )
Diagnosis: All patients diagnosed with African trypanosomiasis must have their cerebrospinal fluid examined to determine whether there is involvement of the central nervous system, since the choice of treatment drug(s) will depend on the disease stage. The World Health Organization criteria for central nervous system involvement include increased protein in cerebrospinal fluid and a white cell count of more than 5. Trypanosomes can often be observed in cerebrospinal fluid in persons with second stage infection.
Signs and Symptoms: A bite by the tsetse fly is often painful and can develop into a red sore. Fever, severe headaches, irritability, extreme fatigue, swollen lymph nodes, and aching muscles and joints are common symptoms of sleeping sickness. Some people develop a skin rash. Progressive confusion, personality changes, slurred speech, seizures, and difficulty in walking and talking. If left untreated, infection becomes worse and death will occur within several weeks or months.

“AMERICAN TRYPANOSOMIASIS”

(trypanosoma cruzi)
Definition: Chagas disease, also known as American trypanosomiasis, is a potentially life-threatening illness caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi (T. cruzi). It is found mainly in endemic areas of 21 Latin American countries1, where it is mostly vector-borne transmitted to humans by contact with faeces of triatomine bugs, known as 'kissing bugs', among other names, depending on the geographical area.
Causative Agent: Trypanosoma cruzi
Mode of Transmission: Infection is transmitted by blood-sucking triatomine bugs (“kissing bugs”). Oral transmission by ingestion of unprocessed freshly squeezed sugar cane in areas where the vector is present has also been reported. Transmission also occurs by blood transfusion when blood has been obtained from an infected donor. Congenital infection is possible, due to parasites crossing the placenta during pregnancy.
Reservoir:
Diagnosis: The diagnosis of acute Chagas disease, which includes congenital Chagas disease and reactivation of chronic T cruzi infection in immunosuppressed persons, is based on direct detection of the parasites. In contrast, the diagnosis of chronic infection (indeterminate or chronic symptomatic phases) is generally based on serologic testing, since the low level of circulating parasites precludes microscopic detection
Signs and Symptoms: Chagas disease presents itself in 2 phases. The initial, acute phase lasts for about 2 months after infection. During the acute phase, a high number of parasites circulate in the blood but in most cases symptoms are absent or mild. In less than 50% of people bitten by a triatomine bug, characteristic first visible signs can be a skin lesion or a purplish swelling of the lids of one eye, and they can present fever, headache, enlarged lymph glands, pallor, muscle pain, difficulty in breathing, swelling and abdominal or chest pain. During the chronic phase, up to 30% of patients suffer from cardiac disorders and up to 10% suffer from digestive (typically enlargement of the esophagus or colon), neurological or mixed alterations. In later years the infection can lead to sudden death or heart failure caused by progressive destruction of the heart muscle and its nervous system.

BABESIOSIS

(Babesia)

Definition: Babesiosis is a malaria-like parasitic disease caused by infection with Babesia, a genus of protozoal piroplasms.[1] Human babesiosis is an uncommon but emerging disease in the Northeastern and Midwestern United States and parts of Europe, and sporadic throughout the rest of the world. Ticks transmit the human form of babesiosis, so it often presents with other tick-borne illnesses such as Lyme disease.[2] After trypanosomes, Babesia is thought to be the second-most common blood parasite of mammals, and they can have a major impact on health of domestic animals in areas without severe winters. In cattle, a major host, the disease is known as Texas cattle fever, redwater, or piroplasmosis.
Causative Agent: Babesia
Mode of Transmission: transmitted to humans when an infected tick takes a blood meal. In order for the parasite to be transmitted, the tick must be attached to the skin for 36 to 48 hours.
Reservoir: The primary reservoir for B. microti is the white footed mouse and Ixodid tick is the definitive host as well as biological vector of Babesia
Diagnosis: Only specialized laboratories can adequately diagnose Babesia infection in humans, and as a result, Babesia infections are considered highly under-reported. It develops in patients who live in or travel to an endemic area or receive a contaminated blood transfusion within the preceding 9 weeks, so this aspect of the medical history is vital. Babesiosis may be suspected when a person with such an exposure history develops persistent fevers and hemolytic anemia. The definitive diagnostic test is the identification of parasites on a Giemsa-stained thin blood smear.
Signs and Symptoms: People with symptoms usually become ill 1 to 4 weeks after the bite, or 1 to 9 weeks after transfusion of contaminated blood products. A person infected with babesiosis gradually develops malaise and fatigue, followed by a fever. Hemolytic anemia, in which red blood cells are destroyed and removed, also develops. Chills, sweats, and thrombocytopenia (a low number of platelets in the blood) are also common symptoms. Less common symptoms and physical exam findings of mild-to-moderate babesiosis: Headache, Muscle pain, Anorexia, Nonproductive cough (mucus is not coughed up), Arthralgias (noninflammatory joint pain, unlike arthritis, which is inflammatory), Nausea, Vomiting, Sore throat, Abdominal pain, Pink eye, Photophobia, Weight loss, Emotional lability, Depression,Hyperesthesia (more sensitive to stimuli),Enlarged spleen, Pharyngeal erythema, Enlarged liver, Jaundice, Retinopathy with splinter hemorrhages, Retinal infarcts, Neutropenia.

MALARIA

(plasmodium)
Definition: Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by parasitic protozoans (a group of single-celled microorganism) belonging to the genus Plasmodium.
Causative Agent: Plasmodium
Mode of Transmission: The infection is transmitted by the bite of an infected female mosquito – Anopheles from an infected person to a healthy person. Can be transferred via organ transplant or blood transfusion and malaria parasites can cross the placenta, and so can be transmitted from a mother to her unborn child.
Reservoir: Humans
Diagnosis: Malaria can be diagnosed by demonstration of malaria parasites in blood films. Blood samples should be sent to a laboratory with experience in the diagnosis of malaria by the use of thick and thin films. Repeated examination may be necessary due to variations in density of parasites. Confirmation of the species should be sought from a reference laboratory.
Signs and Symptoms: causes symptoms that typically include fever, fatigue, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases it can cause yellow skin, seizures, coma or death.