An overview of the pathogens and parasites taught in pathology of the 2nd year medical course in Cambridge.

1. Christiane’s Parasite Overview
Categorised overview of Parasites
• subcellular: Viruses
• prokaryotes – unicellular: Bacteria
• eukaryotes:
1. Fungi
Unicellular: yeasts
Multicellular: molds
o Yeasts:
 Candida albicans
 Cryptococcus neoformans
 Pneumocystis carinii
o Filamentous fungi:
 Aspergillus fumigatus
 Mucor
o Dimorphic fungi:
 Histoplasma capsulatum
2. Protozoae – unicellular with complex life cycle
Reproduce directly in host
2.1. Plasmodium  Malaria
2.2. Leishmania  Leishmaniasis
2.3. Trypanosomes  Sleeping sickness
2.4. Toxoplasma gondii  Toxoplasmosis (birth defects)
3. Metazoae – multicellular, also with complex life cycle
No direct replication in definite host (where sexual maturity is reached)
3.1. Nematodes different worms
 Giant roundworm
• Ascaris lumbricoides  Ascariasis
 Hookworm  intestinal hook-
• Necator americanis worm infection
• Nippostrongylus brasiliensis
 Filarial worm  Filiariasis
• Wuchereria bancrofti  Elephantiasis
• Onchocerca volvvulus  River blindness
3.2. Trematodes “flukes”, flatworms
 Schistosoma, mansoni, japonicum, haematobium
 schistosomiasis
3.3. Cestodes tapeworms
 Hymenolepis diminuta  hymenolepiasis
• Direct life cycle = single host
• Indirect life cycle = multiple hosts