Protozoa and Animal Parasites
Week 4 – Review Sheet
Exercise 6: Protozoa and animal parasites
1. Describe the basic structures of protozoa. Can these same structures be seen in bacteria using a light microscope?
2. Are any parasitic diseases directly communicable from person to person? If so, how are they transmitted?
3. What kinds of precautions should be taken in caring for persons with directly transmissible parasitic infections?
4. What parasitic forms can be seen in the feces of a patient with hookworm? Cryptosporidiosis? Tapeworm? Trichinosis?
5. What parasitic forms can be seen in the blood of a patient with African sleeping sickness? Filariasis? Amebiasis?
6. What is meant by the “life cycle” of a parasite? What importance does it have to those who take care of patients with parasitic diseases?
Microbiology
Name
Institution
Course
Date
MICROBIOLOGY
1 Describe the basic structures of protozoa. Can these same structures be seen in bacteria using a light microscope?
Some of the basic structures of protozoa include the cilia, flagella, the nucleus with the nucleus membrane cytoplasm, and the outer cell membrane. From these structures, only the cilia and flagella can be seen with the use of a light microscope.
2 Are any parasitic diseases directly communicable from person to person? If so, how are they transmitted?
Yes. Parasitic diseases are directly communicable from one person to another. They are directly communicated through food and water in the form of spores and cysts. The transmission occurs through contact with blood and other bodily secretions and bite of an arthropod (Townsend et al., 2020). Due to such cases, people are always advised to wear safety gloves.
3 What kinds of precautions should be taken in caring for persons with directly transmissible parasitic infections?
Standard precautions are minimum infection prevention practices that apply to patient care, especially if a person is taking care of someone suffering from transmissible parasitic infections. First-hand hygiene is important because it prevents the spread of infections. Thus one should use water, antimicrobial soap, or plain soap to wash hands. Secondly, a person should have personal protective equipment. PPEs are designed to prevent a person from getting into contact with infectious agents. It is important to note that PPEs cover the personal clothing and skin of a person to prevent them from getting into contact with bodily secretions, blood, and infectious materials. At the same time, things like gloves ...