Exer 4: Apicomplexan Guide Questions

1. No. The medical terms dysentery and diarrhoea, though commonly thought
as synonyms, are completely different. They differ in the target organ,
symptoms, and mechanism of infection. Dysentery infects the colon therefore
causing mucoid stool with presence of blood. Diarrhoea, on the other hand,
targets the small intestine which in turn results to watery stools. In addition
to that, fever is more common in dysentery than in diarrhoea while cramps
and pain are common in diarrhoea. In terms of their difference in mechanism,
dysentery results to colon ulcerations due to pathogens attack to the upper
epithelial cells of the infected organ. Treatments for this condition can
eliminate the pathogens and stop cell death in the epithelial walls of the
infected organ. In contrast, diarrhoea infects only the intestinal lumen and
the upper epithelial cells of the organ which does not result to cell death.
Treatments such as antibiotics can remove the pathogens but not the toxins it
secreted. The only threat in having diarrhoea is dehydration.
2. Yes, there are differences in balantidial and amoebic dysentery. They exhibit
the common symptoms but they differ in the parasite that caused it.
Balantidium coli cause balantidial dysentery. This is common in swine and
was transmitted to humans by frequent contact. On the other hand, amoebic
dysentery was caused by Entamoeba histolytica which are common in
contaminated water and food. Balantidial dysentery does not result to liver
abscess unlike in amoebic dysentery.
Treatments via parenteral
administration to these conditions also differ. Tetracycline antibiotics are
used for treating balantidial dysentery while it has no effect in amoebic
dysentery. Carbasone can also be used for balantidial dysentery.
3. Yes, epizootic ciliates can cause harm or even death to the animals in which
they attach. One example is the Ichthyophthirius multifiliis, a ciliated parasite
of freshwater fish. They are commonly found in the skins and gills of the fish
where they cause lesions. Lesions in the gills of the fish could hinder
osmoregulation and can result to the hosts death. Another example is the
association of Microfolliculina limnoriae to isopod Limnoria. This association
leads to suppression of food and hindrance from swimming for the hosts
dispersal. Further attachment of the ciliate would eventually cause the hosts
death. A lot of epizootic ciliates also feed on crustacean zooplankton. This
procurement of food of the ciliate results to death of the zooplankton.

References

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