ere’s a concise summary of important exam topics from
H
your parasitology document, organized by session and
explained briefly:
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SESSION 1: Medical Parasitology Basics
Types of Parasites: Endo, ecto, obligate, facultative,
opportunistic.
Host Types: Definitive, intermediate, reservoir, paratenic.
Infection Routes: Oral, skin, vector-borne, vertical.
Life Cycles: Direct (single host) vs. Indirect (multiple hosts).
Immune Evasion: Cysts, antigenic variation, intracellular
location.
Classification: Protozoa (single-celled), Helminths (worms).
Site Classification: Intestinal, tissue, blood, urogenital
parasites.
Effects on Body: Obstruction, allergy, necrosis, cancer.
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SESSION 2: Intestinal Protozoans
E. histolytica: Causes amoebiasis; trophozoite vs. cyst; fecal
transmission.
E. coli: Non-pathogenic but important in diagnosis.
G. lamblia: Malabsorption, foul diarrhea; flagellated;
diagnosed via wet mount/ELISA.
B. coli: From pigs; only ciliate; causes bloody diarrhea.
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SESSION 3: Trichomonas vaginalis (Urogenital Parasite)
Transmission: Sexually transmitted; no cyst form.
Symptoms: Vaginitis, strawberry cervix (females);
prostatitis (males).
Diagnosis: Wet mount, culture, rapid tests.
Prevention: Safe sex, partner treatment.
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SESSION 4: Haemoprotozoans
Plasmodium spp.: Malaria; different species with varied
fever patterns.
Life Cycle: Asexual (human), sexual (mosquito).
Diagnosis: Giemsa-stained blood films.
Trypanosomes: African (sleeping sickness) and American
(Chagas).
Transmission: Tsetse fly (Africa), kissing bug (America).
Symptoms: Neurological (Africa), cardiac (America).
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SESSION 5: Leishmania spp.
Types: Visceral, cutaneous, mucocutaneous.
Vectors: Sandflies.
Forms: Amastigotes (in humans), promastigotes (in
sandflies).
Diagnosis: Tissue smear, culture, serology.
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SESSION 6: Cryptosporidium parvum
Transmission: Contaminated water/food; fecal-oral.
Auto-infection: Thin-walled oocysts.
High Risk: Immunocompromised individuals.
Prevention: Boil water, hygiene.
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SESSION 7: Toxoplasma gondii
Transmission: Cat feces, undercooked meat, congenital.
Forms: Tachyzoite (active), bradyzoite (cyst), oocyst (shed by
cats).
Disease: Asymptomatic to severe (encephalitis, congenital
issues).
Diagnosis: ELISA, microscopy, prenatal testing.
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Tissue Nematodes
Wuchereria bancrofti: Elephantiasis; mosquito vector.
Dracunculus medinensis: Guinea worm; water
transmission.
Trichinella spiralis: Pork; muscle invasion.
Onchocerca volvulus: River blindness; blackfly vector.
Diagnosis: Blood smears, skin snips.
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Intestinal Nematodes
Ascaris lumbricoides: Lung migration; intestinal
obstruction.
Trichuris trichiura: Rectal prolapse in children.
Enterobius vermicularis: Perianal itching; Scotch tape test.
Hookworms: Iron-deficiency anemia; skin penetration.
Strongyloides stercoralis: Auto-infection; fatal in
immunocompromised.
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Cestodes (Tapeworms)
T. saginata/T. solium: Beef/pork tapeworm; cysticercosis
from T. solium.
Hymenolepis nana: Auto-infection; common in children.
Echinococcus granulosus: Hydatid disease; dog feces.
Diphyllobothrium latum: B12 deficiency; fish tapeworm.
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Trematodes (Flukes)
Schistosoma spp.: Blood flukes; penetrate skin; bladder/liver
damage.
Fasciola hepatica: Liver fluke; from aquatic plants.
Fasciolopsis buski: Intestinal fluke; from aquatic plants.
Paragonimus westermani: Lung fluke; from undercooked
crustaceans.
