THE TRICHOMONADS 



97 



Fig. 11. Trichonionads of man. 1. Trichomonas 

 vaginalis. 2. Trichomonas lenax. 

 3. Pentatrichomonas hominis. X 2500. 

 (From Wenrich, 1947) 



it. Paracostal and extra- axostylar gran- 

 ules are numerous; other siderophil gran- 

 ules are scattered in the cytoplasm. Four 

 chromosomes are present. The axostyle 

 is rather slender. The cytostome is in- 

 conspicuous. 



Pathogenesis : T. vaginalis infec- 

 tions are often asymptomatic in womena 

 and are usually so in the male. Tricho- 

 monad vaginitis is characterized by leu- 

 korrhea and vaginal and vulvar pruritis. 

 T. vaginalis may occasionally cause pur- 

 ulent urethritis and prostato-vesiculitis 

 in the male. Concomitant bacteria and 

 yeasts may exacerbate the symptoms and 

 lesions. 



Epidemiology : T. vaginalis infec- 

 tions are essentially venereal in origin, 

 the organism being transmitted during 

 sexual intercourse. In exceptional cases, 

 infants have been infected from their 

 mothers. Transmission thru contamina- 

 ted towels, underwear or toilet seats is 

 extremely rare. 



Diagnosis : T. vaginalis infections 

 can be readily identified by microscopic 



examination of vaginal secretions or scrap- 

 ings, sedimented urine or prostate secre- 

 tions obtained by massaging the prostate 

 gland. 



Cultivation : T. vaginalis can be 

 readily cultivated in any of the media used 

 for trichonionads, such as CPLM medium. 



Treatment : A number of preparations 

 are used in treating trichomonad vaginitis. 

 Among them are suppositories containing 

 chiniofon, diodoquin, vioform, carbarsone 

 or oxytetracycline. Lactic acid douches 

 are often used to make the vaginal pH acid 

 and provide conditions unsuitable for the 

 protozoa. Infections in the male may be 

 treated by introducing oxytetracycline 

 ointment into the urethra or irrigating 

 with a sulfonamide or antibiotic. To pre- 

 vent reinfection, both husband and wife 

 should be treated. 



Remarks : Trussell (1947) has writ- 

 ten a definitive monograph on this species. 



TRICHOMONAS PAVLOVI 

 NOM. NOV. 



Synonym : Trichomonas bovis Pavlov 

 and Dimitrov, 1957, non Trichomonas 

 bovis Riedmiiller, 1930. 



Host : Ox. 



Location : Large intestine. 



Geographic Distribution : Bulgaria. 



Morphology : This species was des- 

 cribed by Pavlov and Dimitrov (1957). The 

 trophozoites are piriform and usually meas- 

 ure 11 to 12 by 6 to 7 (jL . The 4 anterior 

 flagella are about the same length as the 

 body. The undulating membrane is well de- 

 veloped, with 2 to 4 waves, and extends al- 

 most to the posterior end of the body. A 

 posterior free flagellum, an accessory fil- 

 ament and a costa are present. The nucleus 

 is round-oval or oval. The axostyle is rel- 

 atively weak and slender, broadening to 

 form a capitulum at the anterior end, and 

 extending about 1/4 of its length from the 

 posterior end of the body. There are many 

 food vacuoles in the cytoplasm. 



