A 72-year-old man from Texas developed fever and weakness 16…
A 72-year-old man from Texas developed fever and weakness 16 days after a hunting trip in northwest Tanzania. Several days after the onset of fever, he noticed a raised, tender, erythematous nodule (6-8 cm in diameter) on the posterior aspect of his right arm. He was hospitalized in Africa and treated for 5 days with a cephalosporin for presumed cellulitis. After little improvement, he returned to Texas. On arrival, the patient had a temperature of 102°F, a morbilliform rash of the trunk, and right-sided, anterior cervical lymphadenopathy. CSF contained 12 RBCs and 18 mononuclear cells/mm3, with a normal protein level (32 mg/dL). Laboratory tests revealed a hemoglobin level of 10.7 g/dL, a WBC count of 2.4 X 103/uL). The diagnosis was made by finding the extracellular flagellate parasite in a peripheral blood smear. Which of the following is the most probable etiologic agent of the infection?
Read DetailsThe cyst form of Balantidium coli is the infective stage. It…
The cyst form of Balantidium coli is the infective stage. It has one large kidney-shaped macronucleus and one small, round micronucleus. The troph is quite large, measuring 50 to 150 microns in length and 40 to 70 microns in width. What single feature is associated with this organism?
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