Quick Review Cards for Medical Laboratory Science

Blood and Tissue Helminths Clinical Microbiology Review 265

ORGANISM CLASSIFICATION TRANSMISSION DIAGNOSIS OTHER

Toxocara

Trichinella spiralis

Wuchereria bancrofti

Brugia malayi

Loa loa

Onchocerca volvulus

Echinococcus granulosus

Humans are accidental hosts.

Larvae in tissues. Visceral & ocu-

lar larva migrans (toxocariasis).

Eosinophilia, edema of upper

eyelids, fever, myalgia.

Elephantiasis (lymphatic

filariasis).

Elephantiasis. Nocturnal

periodicity.

Loiasis. Nocturnal periodicity.

River blindness.

Humans are accidental interme-

diate host. Cysts develop in liver

or lungs.

Nematode

(in dogs/cats)

Nematode

Nematode

Nematode

Nematode

Nematode

Cestode

Ingestion of eggs

from dog/cat feces

Undercooked pork,

walrus, bear

Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes

Mango fly (Chrysops)

Black fly

Ingestion of fecal

material from

infected dog

Serological tests.

Larvae encysted in muscle.

Serological tests.

Microfilariae in blood. Giemsa-

stained thick & thin smears.

Microfilariae in blood. Giemsa-

stained thick & thin smears.

Microfilariae in blood. Giemsa-

stained thick & thin smears.

Microfilariae from skin snips or

aspirates of nodules

Radiologic ID of cysts or ID of

scoleces in needle biopsy mate-

rial from cyst (hydatid sand).

Serological methods available.