Balantidium coli

Balantidium coli

1. Life Cycle

   • direct with 2 stages
   • Trophozoite
     • Ciliated
     • In host
     • Create lesions by multiplication in intestine
     • Found in faeces
   • Cyst
     • Infective stage in environment
     • Found in faeces

2. Clinical Signs

   • Balantidiasis
     • Incubation Period: 4-5 days
     • Ulcers in colon may penetrate submucosa
       • Flask- shaped ulcers and secondary bacterial infection
     • Us. results in dysentery
       • Acute diarrhea
       • weight loss
       • vomiting
       • Colic
         • Severe pain in abdomen caused by wind or obstruction of intestines
       • Weakness
       • Poor growth

3. Diagnosis

   • Examination of faeces
     • Loose stool contain trophozoites
     • Formed/ constipated stool contains cysts
   • Trophozoites
     • Lgest protozoa found in faeces
     • Up to 200 * 150 micrometers
     • Cilia fuzzy appearance
     • Not infective
     • Macronucleus
     • Micronucleus
     • Contractile vacuole
     • Cystostome
     • Slow, rotary motion
   • Cysts
     • Distinctive wall, spherical
     • Kidney shaped macronucleus
     • Average diameter 55 micrometer
     • Hard stool
     • Infective

4. Treatment

   • Diiodohydroxyquin
   • Metronidazole (Flagyl)
     • 30 mg/kg for SID for 5dys PO
   • Oxytetracycline
     • Most effective and common: 10 dys

5. Control

   • Improve sanitation/ plumbing/ personal hygiene
   • Keep pig habitat and waste separate from human housing
   • Cysts resistant: survive for weeks outside
     • Killed by household disinfectants
     • Boil drinking water
   • Treat asymptomatic carriers