PARASITOLOGY AND MYCOLOGY EXAMS
SECTION A: MCQ (15mks)
1. Superficial infections of the skin and its appendages, commonly known as ringworm,
athlete’s foot, and jock itch are called A) Dermatitis B) Dermatology C) Dermatophytes
D)Dermatophytosis
2. Dermatologists refer to fungal infections of the scalp as _________ A) tinea capitis B)
tinea pedis C) tinea manuum D) tinea cruris E) tinea barbae F) tinea unguium G) tinea
corporis
3. Dermatologists refer to fungal infections of the nail bed as _________ A) tinea capitis, B)
tinea pedis C) tinea manuum D) tinea cruris E) tinea barbae F) tinea unguium G) tinea
corporis
4. Dermatologists refer to fungal infections of the body as _________ A) tinea capitis, B)
tinea pedis C) tinea manuum D) tinea cruris E) tinea barbae F) tinea unguium G) tinea
corporis
5. Dermatologists refer to fungal infections of the hands as _________ A) tinea capitis, B)
tinea pedis C) tinea manuum D) tinea cruris E) tinea barbae F) tinea unguium G) tinea
corporis
6. Dermatologists refer to fungal infections of the feets as _________ A) tinea capitis B)
tinea pedis C) tinea manuum D) tinea cruris E) tinea barbae F) tinea unguium G) tinea
corporis
7. Dermatologists refer to fungal infections of the beard as _________ A) tinea capitis, B)
tinea pedis C) tinea manuum D) tinea cruris E) tinea barbae F) tinea unguium G) tinea
corporis
8. Dermatologists refer to fungal infections of the groin as _________ A) tinea capitis, B)
tinea pedis C) tinea manuum D) tinea cruris E) tinea barbae F) tinea unguium G) tinea
corporis
9. Which of the following fungal pathogen causes oral thrush A) Sporothrix schenki B)
Candida albican C) Cryptococcus neoformans D) Histoplasma capsulatum
10. Which of the following fungal pathogen causes meningitis A) Sporothrix schenki B)
Candida albican C) Cryptococcus neoformans D) Histoplasma capsulatum
11. Which of the following fungal pathogen causes progressive pulmonary disease in a form
similar to that of pulmonary tuberculosis A) Sporothrix schenki B) Candida albican C)
Cryptococcus neoformans D) Histoplasma capsulatum
12. Which of the following is transmitted by snail A) Schistosoma mansoni B) Paragonimus
westermani C) Entamoeba histolytica D) Giardia lamblia
13. Which of the following is a lung fluke? A) Schistosoma mansoni B) Paragonimus
westermani C) Entamoeba histolytica D) Giardia lamblia
14. Which of the following is a blood fluke? A) Schistosoma mansoni B) Paragonimus
westermani C) Entamoeba histolytica D) Giardia lamblia
15. Which of the following causes urinary schistosomiasis? A) Schistosoma mansoni B)
Schistosoma haematobium C) Schistosoma japonicum D) Schistosoma intercalatum
SECTION B: STRUCTURAL (10mks)
1. Fungal diseases are called?_________________ (1mk)
2. Nail bed and more extensive skin fungal infections require systemic therapy with
__________________ (1mk)
3. _________________ fungi grows in soil under humid climatic conditions, particularly
soil containing bird or bat droppings. (2mks)
4. African typanosomiasis is transmitted by the bites of which insect? (1mks)
5. Name 4 species of plasmodium causing malaria in humans, Tell which malaria
parasite has the shortest incubation period? (5mk)
SECTION C: STRUCTURAL (45mks)
1. Describe the morphology, Infective stage and modes of infection, life cycle,
pathogenecity and clinical features, diagnosis and treatment Ascaris lumbricoides
(20mks)
2. Give the treatment and prevention of onchocerciasis. (7mks)
3. Describe the morphology, life cycle, clinical features, diagnosis, treatment and
prevention of Entamoeba histolytica (20mks)
MARKING GUIDE
SECTION A: MCQ (15mks)
16. D
17. A
18. FG
19. C
20. B
21. F
22. D
23. B
24. C
25. D
26. A
27. B
28. A
29. B
SECTION B: STRUCTURAL (10mks)
6. Mycosis
7. Griseofulvin or itraconazole and terbinafine
8. Histoplasma capsulatum
9. Tsetse fly
10. Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium ovale, and Plasmodium
malariae. Plasmodium falciparum,
SECTION C: ESSAY (45mks)
1. ASCARIS LUMBRICOIDES
Morphology:
Male adult worm measures 15-20 cm in length. The posterior end is curved ventrally. The
female worm measures 20-40 cm in length. Its posterior end is straight.
Infective stage and modes of infection:
Egg containing larva when ingested with contaminated raw vegetables causes ascariasis.
Life cycle:
Ingested eggs hatch in the duodenum. The larvae penetrate the intestinal wall and circulate in
the blood. From the heart they migrate to the lungs, ascend to the trachea, descend to the
esophagus and finally reach the small intestine to become adult. The female pass immature
eggs which pass to the soil and mature in 2 weeks.
Pathogenecity and clinical features
Adult worms in the intestine cause abdominal pain and may cause intestinal obstruction
especially in children. Larvae in the lungs may cause inflammation of the lungs
pneumonia-like symptoms.
Diagnosis
1. Examination of stool for eggs
2. Demonstration of adult worms
Treatment
Mebendazole, Albendazole and Piperazine
2. Treatment: Ivermectin
Prevention
• Vector control
• Mass treatment
• Establishment of villages away from Simulium breeding places.
• Use of repellents
• Protective clothing
3. Entamoeba histolytica
Morphological features
(a) Trophozoites
(b) Cyst
Life cycle
Intestinal infections occur through the ingestion of a mature quadrinucleate infective cyst,
contaminated food or drink and also by hand to mouth contact.
It is then passed unaltered through the stomach, as the cyst wall is resistant to gastric juice.
In terminal ileum (with alkaline pH), excystation takes place.
Trophozoites being actively motile invade the tissues and ultimately lodge in the submucous
layer of the large bowel. Here they grow and multiply by binary fission. Trophozoites are
responsible for producing lesions in amoebiasis. Invasion of blood vessels leads to secondary
extra intestinal lesions.
Clinical features
The outcome of infection may result in a carrier state, intestinal amebiasis, or
exteraintestinal amebiasis. Diarrhoea, flatulence, and cramping are complaints of
symptomatic patients. More severe disease is characterised by the passing of numerous
bloody stools in a day. Systemic signs of infection (fever, leukocytosis, rigors) are present
in patients with extraintestinal amebiasis.
Laboratory diagnosis
In intestinal amoebiasis:
• Examination of a fresh dysenteric faecal specimen or rectal scraping for trophozoite
stage.
• Examination of formed or semiformed faeces for cyst stage.
Treatment
Acute, fulminating amebiasis is treated with metrondiazole followed by iodoquinol, and
asymptomatic carriage can be eradicated with iodoquinol, diloxanide furoate, or
paromomycin.
Prevention
Introduction of adequate sanitation measures and education about the routes of
transmission.
Avoid eating raw vegetables grown by sewerage irrigation and night soil
