I. Introduction (week 1)
Introduction
to Parasitology. Parasitism as a type of symbiosis. Definition of parasitic
organism. Parasites vs free-living organisms . Major taxonomic
groups of parasites: Protozoa, Platyhelminthes, Nematoda, and Arthropoda. Host-parasite
relationship and co-evolution. Parasitic diseases of humans, domestic animals,
and wildlife. Relatioship of Parasitology to other sciences. Careers in Parasitology
Types
of parasites and their hosts. Direct and indirect life cycles of parasites. Parasite
ecology. Strategy of adaptation to parasitism. Major routes of parasite
transmission. Host/parasite interaction: host’s immunological response to
parasitic organisms (innate and acquired immunity). Parasite immune evasion mechanisms.
Parasitic diseases and AIDS .
Diversity,
abundance, and geographic distribution of parasitic protozoans. Taxonomy, phylogeny,
and evolution. Comparative morphology and ultrastructure. Physiology:
locomotion, feeding, metabolism, and reproduction. Direct and indirect life
cycles. Strategy of defense mechanisms in parasites and their hosts. Human and
animal diseases caused by parasitic protozoans and routes of their
transmission. Protozoans as opportunistic parasites in immunodefficient hosts.
Phylum Retortomonada. Ord. Diplomonadida. Giardiaduodenalis (lamblia) –
common intestinal
parasite of humans. Evolutionary position
(organism from point of divergence (between pro- and
eukaryotes). Geographic distribution.
Morphology and ultrastructure. Life cycle. Routes of transmission.
Giardiasis in humans and animals. Rate of infection. Diagnostic, treatment,
prevention, and control.
Phylum Axostylata. Ord.
Trichomonadida. Trichomonas spp. – worldwide distributed sexually
transmitted parasites of humans and
mammals. Phylogeny, and evolution. Life cycle. Trichomoniasis:
rate of infection. Diagnosis, treatment,
prevention, and control.
Morphology and ultrastructure. Diseases
caused by the amebas.
Naegleria fowleri
(facultative parasite), causative
agent of primary amebic
eningoencephalitis (PAM).
Phylum Ciliophora. Taxonomy and phylogeny. Biology, morpology, and
ultrastructure.
Balantidium coli- the only protozoan
parasite of humans. Geographic distribution. Life cycle.
Pathogenesis. Diagnosis, prevention, and
control.
Ichthyophthyrius multifiliis (“Ich”)- dangerous parasite of freshwater fish.
“White spot disease” in
aquaculture. Diagnosis and tratment.
Hemoflagellates (Kinetoplastids). African
and American Trypanosomes.
Phylum Euglenozoa. Ord.Trypanosomatida. Taxonomy and
phylogeny. Major morphological stages of
trypanosomatids (general morphology &
ulfrastructure). Type of the life cycle. Salivarian and
stercorarian
trypanosomatids. Tissue- and
blood-dwelling trypanosomatids, intra- and extracellular
trypanosomatids.
Host/parasite interaction: strategy of
antigenic variations as a defensive
mechanism
of extracellular parasite against host’s immunity. Anatomical
seclusion (becoming intracellular
even
in the
cells of the immune system) as a
defensive mechanism of intracellular
parasite against host’s
immunity.
Trypanosoma brucei
spp., Trypanosoma cruzi, and Leishmania spp.- dangerous parasites
of
humans, cattle, and wildlife. Geographic
distribution and rate of infection. Life
cycles (parasite
development in definitive and intermediate
hosts). Pathogenic effect. Clinical symptoms of sleeping
sickness (T.brucei spp. or African
trypanosomes), Chagas’ disease (T.
cruzi or American
trypanosomes), and
leishmaniasis (Leishmania spp.). Diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and control.
Phylum Apicomplexa. Taxonomic position. Phylogeny and evolution.
Morphology and ultrastructure. Specificity of the life cycles. Stages of
development, types of reproduction. Strategy of parasite adaptation to the
hosts. Diseases caused by Apicomplexa in humans and animals.
Class Coccidea. Ord. Eimeriida. Toxoplasma gondii - causative
agent of one of the most wide spread
and dangerous disease in humans and
animals. Life cycle (parasite development in definitive and
intermediate hosts). Major routes of transmission. Toxoplasmosis: rate of infection. Motherhood
and toxoplasmosis, congenital toxoplasmosis. Toxoplasmosis in
immunocompetent and
immunocompromise hosts. Diagnosis, treatment, prevention and control.
Ord. Adeleida. Cryptosporidium parvum- causative agent of transient human diarrhea.
Life cycle.
Cryptosporidiosis in immunocompetent and
immunocompromise hosts.C. parvum as indicator of
water quality.
Ord. Haemosporida. Plasmodium spp.-
the most dangerous parasites of human population causing
malaria..Rate of the infection, global
rate of human death. Major species of Plasmodium
infecting
humans. Geographic distribution.Life
cycle in insect and human hosts. Parasite development in
the intermediate and definitive hosts. P. vivax and benign
tertian malaria. P. falciparum and malignant
tertian malaria, P. malariae and quartan
malaria. Malaria as re-emergent disease. Diagnosis,
treatment,
prevention and control. Antimalarial vaccine.
Midterm 1.
IV. Phylum Platyhelminthes (flatworms) (week
7-10)
Diversity,
abundance, and geographic distribution. Classification, taxonomy, phylogeny,
and evolution. Comparative anatomy, functional morphology and ultrastructure.
Comparative physiology. Reproduction, embryogenesis, and development. Flatworms
with direct life cycles (Turbellaria, Monogenea). Flatworms with indirect life
cycles (Trematoda, Cestoidea). Defense mechanisms of parasites against host’s
immunity. Human and animal diseases cased by Platyhelminthes.
Class Trematoda, s/class
Digenea (flukes)- parasites
of all classes of vertebrates. Classification, phylogeny and evolution. Basic
life cycles. Stages of development. Comparative anatomy and functional
morphology of adult worms and larval stages.
Host-parasite interaction and adaptation to parasitism... Routes of transmission.
Human and animal diseases caused by digenetic trematodes.
distribution. Specificity of the life cycles.
Route of transmission. Host-parasite interaction.
Schistosoma haematobium and urinary schistosomiasis. S.
mansoni and schistosomiasis of large
intestine. S. japonicum and
schistosomiasis of small intestine.
Diagnosis, treatment, prevention and control.
“Swimmer’s
itch”, or cercarial dermatitis in
humans causeds by bird schistosomes.
Fam. Fasciolidae. Fasciola hepatica (sheep liver fluke) – a causative agent of human fasciolosis.
Fasciolopsis buski, parasite of
humans and swine. Diagnosis, prevention, and control.
Fam Clonorchiidae and Opisthorchiidae- harmful parasites of humans. Liver flukes,Clonorchis
sinensis
(Chinese liver fluke), and Opisthorchis
felineus (cat liver fluke). Life cycles.
Pathogenesis. Diagnosis, tretment,
prevention and control.
Fam. Troglotrematidae. Paragonimus westermani (lung flukes). Morphoogy.
Life cycle.
Pathogenesis. Diagnosis, treatment,
prevention and control,
Class Cestoidea (tapeworms)- parasites of all classes of vertebrates.
Classification. Taxonomy and phylogeny.
Diversity, abundance, and geographic distribution. Host- parasite co- evolution.
Adaptation to parasitism. Seudophyllidean and cyclophyllidean cestodes. Basic
life cycles. Stages of development: eggs, larval stages (metacestodes), and
adult worms. Physiology, functional morphology, and ultrastructure. Routes of
transmission. Human and animal diseases caused by the tapeworms.
Ord. Pseudophyllidea. Fam.
Diphyllobothriidae. Diphyllobothrium
latum- broad fish tapeworm,
parasite of humans and puscivorous
carnivores. Geographic distribution. Variations in the life cycle.
Pathogenesis. Diagnosis, treatment,
prevention and control.
Diphyllobothrium
spp. – parasites of fish, birds, and mammals.
Fam. Bothriocephalidae. Bothriocephalus acheilognathi- worlwide distributed Asian fish tapeworm.
Ord. Cyclophyllidea. Fam. Taeniidae- the most medically important tapeworms of
humans. Taenia
saginata (beef
tapeworm)- one of the most
common tapeworm of humans. Geographic
distribution.
Morphology and life cycle. Stages of
development (cysticercus). Routes of transmission. Diagnosis,
prevention and control. Taenia solium (pork tapeworm)- the most dangerous adult tapeworm of
humans. Specificity of the life cycle; humans as a definitive and
as accidental intermediate host.
Routes of infection. Taeniasis. Cysticercosis
and neurocysticercosis. Diagnosis,
treatment, prevention,
and
control.
Echinococcus
granulosus- parasite of carnivores animals. Geographic distribution.
Life cycle with
herbivorous animals as an intermediate host. Humans as accidental
intermediate host. Cystic
echinococcosis (hydatid disease) in humans and animals. Diagnosis, treatment,
prevention and control.
alternative (direct or indirect) life
cycle. Diagnosis, treatment, prevention and control.
Fam.
Dilepididae. Dipylidium caninum-
common cestode of dogs and cats, and occasionally children.
Diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and
control.
Midterm 2.
V. Phylum Nematoda (roundworms) (week 11-14)
Diversity,
abundance, and geographic distribution. Taxonomy, phylogeny, and evolution.
Comparative anatomy, functional morphology, and ultrastructure of major systems
and organs. Physiology: behavior, nutrition, and reproduction. Basic life
cycles (direct and indirect). Stages of development. Major types of juvenile
stages. Developmental arrest as a common adaptation to environmental condition.
Host/parasite interaction. Human and animal diseases caused by nematodes.
Class Enoplea.
Fam. Trichuridae. Trichuris trichiura (whipworm)- parasite of humans. Morphology. Life
cycle.
Trichiriasis. Diagnosis, treatment,
prevention, and control.
Class Rhabditea. Rhabditean nematodes as a bridge between
free-living and parasitic organisms.
Fam. Strongyloididae. Strongyloides stercoralis (threadworm)- harmful human parasite with
both
free-living and parasitic patterns of
the life cycle. Routes of tranjsmission. Pathogenesis. Three
stages
of strongyloidiasis.
Diagnostic, treatment, prevention and
control.
Fam. Oxyuridae. Enterobius vermicularis
(pinworm)- the most common human nematodes.
Morphology, life cycle. Pinworm disease:
diagnostic, treatment, prevention and control.
Fam. Ancylostomatidae (hookworms). Ancylostoma duodenale and Necator
americanus
(American killer)- the most common hookworms of great economic
and medical importance.
Morphology and life cycle.Routes of
transmission. Cutaneous larva
migrans. Phases (stages) of
hookworm disease. Diagnostis, treatment, prevention, and control.
Fam.
Ascarididae. Ascaris lumbricoides
(large intestinal human roundworm). Specificity of the life
cycle. Routes of infection. Intestinal
and extra-intestinal ascariasis. Wandering worm syndrom.
Diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and
control.
Toxocara canis – parasite of domestic dogs and other
canids. Dangerous parasite of humans
(acidental intermediate host).
Specificity of the life cycle. Routes of infection. Visceral larva migrans
and ocular larva migrans. Diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and control.
Anisakis spp. and anisakiasis in
humans and other mammals. Diagnosis,
treatment, prevention and
control.
Fam. Oncocercidae (filarial worms). Wuchereria bancrofti, causative agent of elephantiasis
(lymphatic filariasis). Oncocerca volvulus and
River blindness. Other filarial worms
causing
severe diseases of humans. Dirofilaria immitis (dog heartworm).
Life cycles. Routes of
infection. Diagnostic, treatment,
prevention, and control.
Fam.
Dracunculidae. Dracunculus medinensis (Guinea
worm)-large roundworm widely distributed
in the Miiddle East and Africa. Life
cycle, routes of infection. Disease: treatment, prevention, and
control.
VI. Phylum Arthropoda (week 13-14)
General morphology, biology, ecology, and behavior.
Developmental stages. Basic life cycles.
Adaptation to parasitism. Arthropod-transmitted infections.
Diptera, the flies as vectors of severe human diseases.
Mosquitoes. Culex pipiens, Aedes dorsalis and Anopheles spp., the most important
insect vector of
malaria, encephalitis, dengue, and Nile
virus.
True
flies. Glossina spp. as a
transmitter of sleeping sickness. Sand
flies and leismaniasis, black
flies and oncocerciasis.
Arachnida, parasites and vectors of parasitic
diseases. Acari, Ticks and Mites.
Ticks: Ixodes
spp. as vectors of Lyme
disease, tick-borne encephalitis,
relapsing fever and other
diseases of humans. Immunity to ticks. Mites,
important parasites of humans, domestic animals, and
wildlife causing and transmitting epidermal
and respiratory diseases.
Final exam
Week 1.
#
1. Introduction. Basic
goals, study methods, and equipment. Dissecting and compound microscopes.
Standardization and caalibration of compound microscope and measurement of
microscopic objects.
Weeks 2-6. Protozoa
#
2. Lumen-dwelling flagellates (flagellates from anoxic environment). Microscopic identification of Giardia duodenalis (trophozoites and
cysts, fecal smears) and Trichomona
vaginalis (trophs, vaginal smears).
#
3. Amebas and ciliates, arasites of human’s intestinal tract.
Microscopic ID of trophozoites and cysts of Entamoeba histolytica (fecal smears,
intestinal tissues) and Balantidium coli (fecal
smears).
#
4. Hemoflagellates.
Microscopic identification of African trypanosomes (bllod smears) and American trypanosomes
(blood, tissues) and leishmanias (culture).
Practical
exercise # 1. Protozoan parasites of the
earthworm. Dissection of the earthworm. Collection and processing of
Monocystis, Sporozoa (wet mounts, smears). Identification of different stages
of Monocystis life cycle.
#
5. Apicomplexans. Coccidia Toxoplasma gondii. M icroscopic ID of
pseudocysts in fixed tissues. Malaria
plasmodiums. Microscopic ID of Plasmodium
falciparum, P. malariae, and P. vivax
in bllod smears& fixed tissues.
Plasmodium parasites in mosquito.
Slide preview.
Quiz 1 (Protozoa).
Weeks 7-10. Platyhelminthes
#
6. Practical exercise # 2. Study of living larval trematodes. Parasitological
examination of the California hornhell snail, Cerithidea californica. Collection,
identification, and preservation of parasites. Lab report.
#
7. Digenetic trematodes.
General morphology of trematodes (fixed specimens). Microscopic identification
of Schistosoma spp Fasciola spp., Clonorchis sinensis, and Paragonimus
westermani (adult worms and eggs).
#
8. Cestodes. Microscopic
identification of eggs, larval and adult stages of Diphyllobothrium latum, Taenia spp, and Echinococcus granulosus (microscopic slides, fixed specimens).
Slide prereview
Quiz
2, part A. (Platyhelminthes, trematodes & cestodes).
Weeks 11- 14. Nematoda
#
9. General morphology of
nematodes. Microscopic identification of eggs and adult stage of Trichuris trichiura and Trichinella spiralis.
Practical exercise # 3. Parasitological examination of fish.
Collection, identification, and preservation of parasites.
#
10. Microscopic
identification of eggs and adult stage of hookworms, Ancylostoma spp. and Necator
americanus. Microscopic ID of pinworm Enterobius
vermicularis (eggs, adult worms).
#
11. General morphology of Ascaris lumbricoides (fixed specimens, slides).
Microscopic identification of Ascaris
lumbricoides eggs Microscopic ID of filarial worms Wuchereria bancrofti, Oncocerca
volvulus, and Dirofilaria immitis.
Slide preview.
Quiz 2, part B. Nematodes