Trichomoniosis

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Trichomoniasis is predominately a sexually transmitted disease, but can also occur in animals such as birds (Medline plus). Its most common name is “trich” or nasty woman’s disease because was once known to be a prostitute’s disease. Today, it is known as anyone who’s sexually active disease (Robinson). It is caused by a whip-tailed protozoan called trichnomads and they are very motile. Under a microscope they appear to be very jerky, almost as if they disappear and then reappear. They can also thrive in very acidic environments, which mean certain organs in the body would make a great home for these organisms.
In particularly, humans transmit this organism by direct contact of mucous membranes of infected person to mucous membrane of a noninfected person (sexual) (Wilson). It can be spread through penis -to- vagina intercourse or vulva- to - vulva contact (Wilson). It can be spread through nonsexual contact from mother to child, before birth and after. Also, may be possible to be spread by fomites, since trichnomads can survive for hours in moisture. On the other hand, birds transmit in using three different ways: preying on infected birds, drinking contaminated water or food, carriers of the organism feed “pigeon milk” to the newly hatched or domestic birds coming in contact with wild pigeons (Kennedy). So, humans and birds contract the organism in very similar ways.
Trichomoniasis is caused by a single-celled flagellate protozoan called trichomonas vaginalis when found in humans, in particularly women (Ingraham). Trichomonads have been known to habituate in the vagina, cervix, urethra, bladder, skene, and Bartholin glands in women (Wilson). In men, the can live in the anterior urethra, external genitalia, prostate, epididymis, and the semen (Wilson). Trichomoniasis is also caused by trichomonas gallani that is found specifically in birds. It can live in the oral-nasal cavity or the anterior end of the digestive and ...