Ann Infect Dis Epidemiol | Volume 1, Issue 1 | Review Article | Open Access
Connie Zhi Fong Lim1, Divya Bhantooa1, Davish Balgobin1, Nitish Bissoonauth1, Divraj Kumar Ramburran1, Fangli Lu2,3*
1Department of Medicine, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, Guangdong, China
2Department of Parasitology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, Guangdong, China
3Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control (Sun Yat-sen University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou 510080, Guangdong, China
Various pathogens such as bacteria, virus, and parasites can cause encephalitis. Three human neuropathogenic parasitic protozoa namely Plasmodium falciparum, Trypanosoma brucei, and Toxoplasma gondii, which have been found to have different complex and yet intriguing mechanisms of infection. P. falciparum has been found to invade red blood cells by interaction between parasitized red blood cells and the vascular endothelium through cytoadherence; similarly, parasitic T. brucei can infiltrate the brain by penetration through the blood-brain barrier by secreting enzymes cysteine proteases. T. gondii parasite’s survival is dependent on a balance between host survival and parasite proliferation when it attacks immunocompromised individuals. The clinical manifestations exhibited in each of these parasitic infections remain diverse and so do the treatment prospects. Therefore, in this article, we present an overview of the current understanding of the clinical symptoms, pathogenesis, and immune-mechanism of encephalitis caused by the above causative agents.
Encephalitis; Plasmodium falciparum; Trypanosoma brucei; Toxoplasma gondii
Lim CZ, Bhantooa D, Balgobin D, Bissoonauth N, Ramburran DK, Lu F. Parasitic Encephalitis Caused by Plasmodium Falciparum, Trypanosoma Brucei and Toxoplasma Gondii. Ann Infect Dis Epidemiol. 2016;1(1):1005.