6.
Ciliates
Acknowledgements
Addisa Ababa University
Jimma University
Hawassa University
Haramaya University
University of Gondar
American Society for Clinical Pathology
Center for Disease Control and Prevention-Ethiopia
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this unit , you should be able to:
Discuss the general features ciliates
Explain transmission and Illustrate the life cycle of
Balantidium coli
Discuss the clinical feature of Balantidium coli
Discuss prevention and control of Balantidium coli
infection
Distinguish trophozoite and cyst forms of Balantidium coli
Out line
General features of Ciliates
Blantidium coli
Epidemiology, habitat , morphology, transmission and
life cycle, clinical features ,laboratory
diagnosis ,treatment , prevention and control
Ciliates
General features
have trophozoites and cyst
The trophozoites are covered with short hairs (cilia ) by which they
move
They reproduce asexually by binary fission and sexually by conjugation
They posses two dissimilar nuclei (Macro and micronucleus ) & large
contractile vacuole
Balantidium coli
The largest protozoan parasite of man
Epidemiology
World wide being more commonly found amongst those who
keep pigs, and uses pig faeces as fertilizer especially in
warmer climates
In Ethiopia it was reported from Debre Brerahn
Bal…
Habitat: Trophozoite and cyst in the large intestine of pig and
rarely man
Morphology
Trophozoite
Size: 50-200 m by 40-70m
Shape: Oval, with one pole more
rounded than the other
Motility: Rapid motility, crossing
the field in a definite direction and
sometimes turning in circle
Cilia: Cover the whole body and
many around the cytostome
Bal…
Nucleus: a large kidney shaped macronucleus and a small
micronucleus
Cytostome: a sort of “mouth” that contracts and expands to
draw in debris also has cytopyge
Contractile vacuole : one of the two may be visible
Bal…
Cyst
Size : 50-70m, the size of a
round worm egg
Shape: round
Shell: thin double wall
Nuclei: one large kidney shape
macronucleus & one small
Micronucleus beside the large
nucleus
Cytoplasm: granular, greenish,
filled with inclusion bodies
Cilia(inside wall) :sometimes
be seen in younger cyst
Bal…
Transmission and life cycle
Human acquires through ingestion of contaminated food
or water or hands contaminated with pig faeces
containing cyst
life cycle
Bal…
Following ingestion, excystation occurs in the small intestine
The trophozoites reside in the lumen of the large intestine of
humans and animals, where they replicate
Some trophozoites invade the wall of the colon& multiply
Some return to lumen and disintegrate
Trophozoites undergo encystation to produce infective cysts
Mature cysts are passed with feces
Bal…
Clinical feature
Infection with [Link] can be without symptoms unless the
ciliates invade the intestinal wall
Invasioncan cause inflammation and ulceration, leading to
dysentery with blood and mucus being passed with faeces
Bal…
Laboratory Diagnosis
Finding the tropozoites in dysenteric faecal specimens and
the cysts in formed or semi formed faeces
In dysenteric specimens the ciliates usually contain ingested
red cell
Treatment
Tetracycline, metronidazole
Bal…
Prevention and Control
[Link] contamination of food or drink
[Link] personal hygiene especially those who keep pigs.
[Link] and health information dissemination
summary
Ciliates have trophozoite and cyst stage
Balantidium coli
The largest protozoan parasite of man which is pathogenic to
human being
Human acquires through ingestion of contaminated food or
water or hands contaminated with pig faeces containing cyst
Cause balantidial dysentery
Diagnosis by the finding balatidium coli tropozoites and cysts
satge
Review questions
1. What are unique features of [Link] among other intestinal
protozoa?
2. What is the diagnostic and infective stage of the [Link]?
3. What is the prevention and control method of B. coli?
References
[Link] M., Cheneke W. Medical Parasitology for Medical
laboratory Technology students. Upgraded lecture Notes
Series .2006.
2. Cheesbrough M. District laboratory practice in tropical
countries United Kingdom, Cambridge university press, 2000,
part I
