Research Topic: Parasitic Protists- protozoan diseases 1) Research: Name three c

Question

Research Topic: Parasitic Protists- protozoan diseases 1) Research: Name three common diseases caused by protoazoans. 2) Choose one parasitic protist to go into more depth with. 3) For the parasitic protist you have chosen - a) What is the type of protist (superclade/clade)? b) What is the life cycle of the protist - include how it is transmitted to humans. c) What are the symptoms of the disease? d) What i? the most effective way to prevent the transmission to humans? e) If a human is infected, what are some common treat ents? f) Why are protozoan infections more difficult to treatkan bacterial infections? 4) Answer these questions - include evidence to support your opinion: a) What role, if any do you think that the United States should play in the prevention and treatment of these types of diseases? b) What is the most effective way to treat these diseases? (Prevention/Drugs/Education) c) Why do developing countries (formerly known as third world) have a higher incidence of parasitic protist infections than developed countries?

Explanation / Answer

1) Three common diseases that are caused by protozoan-

Malaria- caused by plasmodium parasites- Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium ovale, Plasmodium malariae & Plasmodium knowlesi (Symptoms include chills, fatigue, fever, night sweats, shivering, or sweating)

Amoebiasis (Also called amoebic dysentery) - caused by amoeba Entamoeba histolytica (Symptoms include bloody stools, fever)

African sleeping sickness (Also called African trypanosomiasis) - caused by parasite Trypanosoma brucei (Early symptoms include fever, headaches, joint pains etc.)

2) For the depth info I have choose Plasmodium falciparum.

3.a) Clade is defined as a group of biological taxa (as species) that includes all descendants of one common ancestor. Superclade is a clade that includes other clades. Plasmodium falciparum has phylum apicomplexa which is under clade alveolate. Further, alveolate comes under superclade chromalveolata.

b) Life cycle of Plasmodium falciparum include two hosts- human & female Anopheles mosquito. First, a malaria-infected female Anopheles mosquito transfers sporozoites into the human, which infect the liver cells & mature into schizonts. These schizonts then rupture and release merozoites. This initial replication in liver is called exo-erythrocytic schizogony. After that parasites undergo asexual multiplication in the erythrocytes (erythrocytic schizogony) & some parasites undergo sexual erythrocytic stages (gametocytes). The gametocytes (For male microgametocytes & for female macrogametocytes) then are taken by an Anopheles mosquito during a blood meal. These gametocytes ultimately develop into oocysts. Oocysts grow & release sporozoites, which travel into the mosquito’s salivary glands. From there they again enter human during blood meal of mosquito.

c) Symptoms include chills, fatigue, fever, night sweats, shivering, sweating, diarrhoea, vomiting, pain in the muscle etc.

d) The most effective way to control malaria is to prevent mosquito bite as malaria can be transmitted to humans only by mosquito bite. This can be done by taking steps to reduce mosquito population, using mosquito net, mosquito repellent, covering arms and legs, taking protective drugs etc.

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