Pathogenic Microbe Report (Coursework Sample)

Pathogen: Trichomonas Vaginalis Student's Name Institutional Affiliation Pathogen: Trichomonas Vaginalis Trichomonas vaginalis (TV), also known as trichomoniasis, is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the trichomonas vaginalis parasite. Trichomonas vaginalis is a parasitic protozoan and an etiologic agent of trichomoniasis. Trichomoniasis is the most prevalent non-viral STD. It is linked to various perinatal problems, genitourinary tract infections in women and men, and an increased HIV transmission and acquisition risk. As per the centers for disease control and prevention (CDC), trichomoniasis affects approximately 3.7 million people in the United States. Trichomonas vaginalis prevalence in the United States is 2.1 percent among females and 0.5 percent among males. There is a prevalence discrepancy relative to ethnicity, with Black females and Black males, 9.6 and 3.6 percent, respectively, having the most significant rates compared to non-Hispanic White women (0.8 percent) and Hispanic women (0.5 percent) (CDC, 2021). Symptoms of trichomoniasis usually develop within a month of infection. But up to half of all people will not develop any symptoms; hence it is asymptomatic. However, regardless of not developing any symptoms, the infected people can still pass the infection on to others. As a result, it is problematic to report on the disease or perform surveillance due to its nature. Also, it is not easily diagnosed as its symptoms mimic those of other sexually transmitted infections and the designated detection methods lack precision. But there are notable symptoms that may develop over time relative to gender. The symptoms may persist for long periods in women, for several months or even years. But in men, it is short-lived that may last for about ten days (Mercer & Johnson 2018). The lack of oestrogen in men may explain this discrepancy. In women, the symptoms may include: Genital redness, itching, and burning; a substantial amount of a thin, typically a clear, yellow, gray, or green, foul-smelling vaginal discharge. The discharge may be light, thick, or frothy; discomfort over the lower stomach area; and pain during sex or urination. It is also closely associated with pelvic inflammatory disease and can have a detrimental outcome on pregnancy, leading to preterm delivery and low birth weight. On the other hand, in men, the symptoms may include: pain when peeing or when ejaculating; increased urgency of peeing; swelling, redness, and soreness around the head of the foreskin or the penis and; producing a thin and white discharge from the penis. Trichomonas vaginalis is a flagellated parasitic protozoan living in the genitourinary tract epithelium. The pathogen takes various shapes, but it is ordinarily pyriform. However, sometimes it can take an amoeboid form. An individual organism of a trichomonas vaginalis measures between 10-20 m in length and 2–14 m in width (Mercer & Johnson 2018). Four flagella protrude from the cell's front section, while one flagellum extends posterior to the organism's center, producing an undulating membrane. It has an axostyle extending from the back of the organism, a vast genome structured into six chromosomes and contains thousands of protein-coding genes. It is a predatory obligate parasite that vaginal epithelial cells, phagocytoses bacteria, and erythrocytes before being consumed by macrophages. Under aerobic and anaerobic circumstances, the pathogen's primary energy source is carbohydrates, which it obtains through fermentative metabolism. The incubation time ranges from four days to four weeks. Figure 1: A labeled diagram of trichomonas vaginalis parasite. Figure 2: Sherrard (2017) An SEM of Trichomonas Vaginalis. https://pharmaceutical-journal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/trichomonas-vaginalis-micrograph-spl-17-728x485.png Since the pathogen is a flagellated protozoon, it is mainly found in women's vagina, paraurethral glands, and urethra. It resides in the female lower genital tract and male urethra, where it replicates by binary fission (Graves et al., 2019). Thus, the primary transmission mode is sexual intercourse, particularly having unprotected sex with an infected individual. According to the CDC, the parasite is carried through vaginal fluids and semen. It can spread from a vag...