• PROTOZOARIOS DE TRANSMISIÓN VECTORIAL, TRANSFUSIONAL Y CONGENITA: Plasmodium

spp. y Toxoplasma gondii.

Plasmodium spp.: Ciclo de vida

Blood parasites of the genus Plasmodium. There are approximately 156 named species of Plasmodium
which infect various species of vertebrates. Four are known to infect humans: P. falciparum, P. vivax , P.
ovale and P. malariae.

The malaria parasite

life cycle involves two
hosts. During a blood
meal, a malaria-
infected female
Anopheles mosquito
inoculates sporozoites
into the human host
. Sporozoites infect
liver cells and mature
into schizonts , which
rupture and release
merozoites . (Of
note, in P. vivax and P.
ovale a dormant stage
[hypnozoites] can
persist in the liver and
cause relapses by
invading the
bloodstream weeks, or
even years later.) After
this initial replication in
the liver (exo-
erythrocytic schizogony
), the parasites
undergo asexual multiplication in the erythrocytes (erythrocytic schizogony ). Merozoites infect red
blood cells . The ring stage trophozoites mature into schizonts, which rupture releasing merozoites .
Some parasites differentiate into sexual erythrocytic stages (gametocytes) . Blood stage parasites are
responsible for the clinical manifestations of the disease.

The gametocytes, male (microgametocytes) and female (macrogametocytes), are ingested by an

Anopheles mosquito during a blood meal . The parasites’ multiplication in the mosquito is known as the
sporogonic cycle . While in the mosquito's stomach, the microgametes penetrate the macrogametes
generating zygotes . The zygotes in turn become motile and elongated (ookinetes) which invade the
midgut wall of the mosquito where they develop into oocysts . The oocysts grow, rupture, and release
sporozoites , which make their way to the mosquito's salivary glands. Inoculation of the sporozoites into
a new human host perpetuates the malaria life cycle .
Toxoplasma gondii: Ciclo de vida

Members of the cat family (Felidae) are

the only known definitive hosts for the
sexual stages of T. gondii and thus are
the main reservoirs of infection. Cats
become infected with T. gondii by
carnivorism . After tissue cysts or
oocysts are ingested by the cat, viable
organisms are released and invade
epithelial cells of the small intestine
where they undergo an asexual followed
by a sexual cycle and then form
oocysts, which are excreted. The
unsporulated oocyst takes 1 to 5 days
after excretion to sporulate (become
infective). Although cats shed oocysts
for only 1 to 2 weeks, large numbers
may be shed. Oocysts can survive in
the environment for several months and
are remarkably resistant to
disinfectants, freezing, and drying, but
are killed by heating to 70°C for 10
minutes.
Human infection may be acquired in
several ways: A) ingestion of
undercooked infected meat containing
Toxoplasma cysts ; B) ingestion of the
oocyst from fecally contaminated hands
or food ; C) organ transplantation or
blood transfusion; D) transplacental
transmission; E) accidental inoculation
of tachyzoites. The parasites form
tissue cysts, most commonly in skeletal
muscle, myocardium, and brain; these
cysts may remain throughout the life of
the host.