cns fungal parasitic

• FUNGAL


  Relating to fungi
• CRYPTOCOCCUS


  A type of fungus
• MENINGITIS


  Serious infection of the brain and spinal column
• Cryptococcus meningitis can occur in people living with HIV
• CAUSATIVE AGENT


  The organism that causes the disease
• The causative agent of cryptococcus meningitis is Cryptococcus neoformans
• MODE OF TRANSMISSION


  How the disease is spread
• Cryptococcus meningitis is transmitted by inhalation of soil particles contaminated by bird droppings
• The fungus first infects the body, and then the infection spreads to the central nervous system, resulting in cryptococcal meningitis
• INCUBATION PERIOD


  The time between exposure and onset of symptoms
• The incubation period for cryptococcus meningitis is shorter than C. neoformans, with a median time of 6 months (extremes 2 weeks-2 years)
• SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS


  The observable effects of the disease
• Signs and symptoms of cryptococcus meningitis

  • Mental changes, including confusion, hallucinations, and personality changes
  • Headache
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Lethargy
• DIAGNOSIS


  How the disease is identified
• Diagnostic methods for cryptococcus meningitis

  • Looking for the fungus in the bloodstream through a simple blood test
  • Lumbar puncture (spinal tap) to test the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)
• VACCINE


  A substance used to prevent a disease
• There is no available vaccine for cryptococcus meningitis, it is still under development
• TREATMENT


  The medical care provided to cure or manage the disease
• Treatments for cryptococcus meningitis

  • Amphotericin B
  • Fluconazole
• PARASITIC


  Relating to parasites
• ACANTHAMOEBA


  A type of microscopic, free-living ameba or amoeba
• Acanthamoeba can cause rare, but severe infections of the eye, skin, and central nervous system
• The causative agent of Acanthamoeba infections is Acanthamoeba
• Modes of transmission for Acanthamoeba


  • Inhalation of cysts and trophozoites carried by the wind through the respiratory tract
  • Improper contact lens-care practices
  • Direct skin contact by traumatic injection or entry through preexisting wounds or lesions
• The incubation period for Acanthamoeba infections varies based on the initial inoculum but is hypothesized to be from several days to several weeks
• Signs and symptoms of Acanthamoeba infections

  • Eye pain
  • Eye redness
  • Blurred vision
  • Sensitivity to light
  • Sensation of something in the eye
  • Excessive tearing

  
• Acanthamoeba infections are usually diagnosed by an eye specialist based on symptoms, growth of the ameba from a scraping of the eye, and/or seeing the ameba by a process called confocal microscopy
• There is no available vaccine for Acanthamoeba infections
• Authorities recommend a combination of chlorohexidine (0.02%) and polyhexamethylene biguanide (PHMB, 0.02%) for treating both the trophozoites and cysts of Acanthamoeba
• NAEGLERIA


  A type of ameba commonly found in warm freshwater and soil
• Naegleria fowleri is the causative agent of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM)
• Naegleria fowleri infects people when water containing the ameba enters the body through the nose
• The period between initial contact with the pathogenic N. fowleri and the onset of clinical signs and symptoms varies from 2-3 days to as long as 7-15 days
• Signs and symptoms of Naegleria fowleri infections

  • Sensitivity to light
  • A change in the sense of smell or taste
  • Fever
  • Sudden, severe headache
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Stiff neck
  • Confusion
  • Loss of Balance
• Diagnostic methods for Naegleria fowleri infections

  • Naegleria fowleri organisms in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), biopsy, or tissue specimens
  • Naegleria fowleri nucleic acid in CSF, biopsy, or tissue specimens
  • Naegleria fowleri antigen in CSF, biopsy, or tissue specimens
• There is no available vaccine for Naegleria fowleri infections
• Treatments for Naegleria fowleri infections

  • Antifungal drug, amphotericin B — usually injected intravenously or into the space around the spinal cord
  • An investigational drug called miltefosine (Impavido)
• CEREBRAL MALARIA


  The most severe neurological complication of infection with Plasmodium falciparum malaria
• Plasmodium species, with P. falciparum being the major causative agent of human cerebral malaria, accounting for approximately one million deaths of children in Sub-Saharan Africa annually
• Malaria is a life-threatening disease typically transmitted through the bite of an infected Anopheles mosquito carrying the Plasmodium parasite