Balantidium coli

• Balantidium coli

  • Infective stage: CYST
  • Diagnostic stage: TROPHOZOITE, CYST
  • Mode of Transmission: : Ingestion of food and water contaminated with the cyst (From feces of pigs which are known reservoir hosts)
• Balantidium coli

  = Disease: Balantidiasis

  • Symptoms often resembles amebic dysentery, abscesses and ulcers may form in the mucosa and submucosa of the large intestine.
  • Acute infections are characterized by up to 15 liquid stools daily containing pus, mucus and blood.

  = Diagnosis:

  + Wet preparations,

  + Permanent stained smear
• Balantidium coli CYST

  + Subspherical to oval shape

  + A double protective cyst wall surrounds the organism.

  + Mature cyst tend to lose their cilia.

  + Strained cysts typically reveal only the macronucleus; the other structure are not usually apparent

  A) Contractile Vacuole

  B) Cilia

  C) Cyst wall

  D) Micronucleus

  E) Macronucleus

  
• Balantidium coli TROPHOZOITES

  + Largest protozoan known to humans

  + Ovoid to sac-shaped, tapers at the anterior end

  + Rapid, Rotary, boring motion

  + Small, dotlike nucleus (Micronucleus) is located adjacent to a large

  + Kidney bean-shaped nucleus (Macronuclues)

  A) Food Vacuole

  B) Contractile Vacuole

  C) Cilia

  D) Macronucleus

  E) Micronucleus

  F) Cytostome