🪱 Parasitology, Mycology and Virology Review for the MedTech Board Exam

What the Parasitology, Mycology & Virology course covers

1. Unit 1: Parasitology Basics & Specimens

   Parasite groups and hosts, stool O&P processing, blood films and modern tests.

   Parasites & their hosts · Stool O&P exam · Blood films & other tests

2. Unit 2: Amebae

   Entamoeba histolytica, the nonpathogenic intestinal amebae, and free-living amebae.

   Entamoeba histolytica · Other amebae

3. Unit 3: Flagellates & Ciliates

   Giardia and intestinal flagellates, Trichomonas, Balantioides, and the blood and tissue flagellates.

   Giardia & intestinal flagellates · Trichomonas & Balantioides · Trypanosomes & Leishmania

4. Unit 4: Malaria & Other Apicomplexa

   Plasmodium life cycle and species identification, Babesia, Toxoplasma, and the intestinal coccidia.

   The malaria life cycle · Identifying Plasmodium · Babesia, Toxoplasma & coccidia

5. Unit 5: Nematodes

   Intestinal roundworms, hookworms and Strongyloides, tissue nematodes and the filariae.

   Ascaris, Trichuris & Enterobius · Hookworms & Strongyloides · Tissue nematodes · Filarial worms

6. Unit 6: Cestodes & Trematodes

   Tapeworms and flukes: life cycles, eggs, and the infections common in Asia.

   Taenia & cysticercosis · Other tapeworms · Liver & intestinal flukes · Lung fluke & schistosomes

7. Unit 7: Fungi & the Mycology Lab

   Fungal structures and spores, specimens, stains and culture media.

   What fungi are made of · Specimens, stains & media

8. Unit 8: Yeasts & Opportunistic Molds

   Candida, Cryptococcus and other yeasts, Pneumocystis, Aspergillus, Mucorales and dark molds.

   Candida · Cryptococcus, Pneumocystis & other yeasts · Aspergillus & hyaline molds · Mucorales & dark molds

9. Unit 9: Skin & Subcutaneous Mycoses

   Superficial mycoses, the dermatophytes and subcutaneous fungal infections.

   Superficial mycoses · Dermatophytes · Subcutaneous mycoses

10. Unit 10: Systemic Mycoses & Antifungals

    The dimorphic fungi, their tissue forms and lab safety, and how antifungals work.

    Histoplasma & Blastomyces · Coccidioides & other dimorphs

11. Unit 11: Virology Basics & Lab Methods

    Virus structure and replication, specimens and transport, culture, and modern detection.

    Virus structure & replication · Specimens & viral culture · Molecular, antigen & serology

12. Unit 12: DNA Viruses

    Herpesviruses, parvovirus, adenovirus, papillomaviruses, polyomaviruses and poxviruses.

    Herpesviruses · Other DNA viruses

13. Unit 13: RNA Viruses

    Respiratory viruses, enteric viruses, arboviruses, rabies and other zoonotic RNA viruses.

    Respiratory RNA viruses · Enteric viruses & enteroviruses · Arboviruses, rabies & zoonotic viruses

14. Unit 14: Hepatitis Viruses & Retroviruses

    Hepatitis A–E and their markers, HIV testing and monitoring, and HTLV.

    Hepatitis viruses · HIV & HTLV

Sample Parasitology, Mycology & Virology board exam questions

A few practice questions from the course, with explanations. Thousands more are in the app.

1. 1. A formed stool arrives 6 hours after collection with no preservative. Which stage is LEAST likely to be recovered?

   1. Protozoan trophozoites
   2. Tapeworm proglottids
   3. Protozoan cysts
   4. Helminth eggs
   Show answer

   Answer: A. Protozoan trophozoites

   Trophozoites are fragile and break down within hours outside the body, so they must be seen in fresh or preserved liquid stool. Formed stool mostly carries cysts and eggs, which have tough walls and survive delay much better.

2. 2. A trichrome smear shows a 25-µm trophozoite with fine even peripheral chromatin, a small central karyosome and no ingested RBCs. The correct report is:

   1. Entamoeba coli
   2. Entamoeba hartmanni
   3. Entamoeba histolytica
   4. Entamoeba histolytica/E. dispar
   Show answer

   Answer: D. Entamoeba histolytica/E. dispar

   E. histolytica and the harmless E. dispar look the same under the microscope. Only ingested red cells prove E. histolytica. Without them, the report reads E. histolytica/E. dispar, and antigen or PCR testing can separate them.

3. 3. A camper has greasy, foul-smelling diarrhea; three O&P exams are negative. The best next test is:

   1. Giardia antigen test (EIA/DFA) or PCR
   2. Blood film
   3. Skin snip
   4. Cellophane tape test
   Show answer

   Answer: A. Giardia antigen test (EIA/DFA) or PCR

   Giardia is shed off and on, so several O&P exams can miss it. Antigen tests (EIA, DFA) and PCR detect it much more reliably. It causes greasy, foul-smelling diarrhea and is common in campers drinking untreated water.

4. 4. A thin film shows many small rings, several cells with 2–3 rings, appliqué forms and normal-sized RBCs; parasitemia is 8%. The report should note:

   1. P. vivax, routine report
   2. P. malariae with low parasitemia
   3. P. falciparum with high (severe) parasitemia — a critical value
   4. Babesia, routine report
   Show answer

   Answer: C. P. falciparum with high (severe) parasitemia — a critical value

   P. falciparum shows many small rings, often several in one cell, appliqué forms, and normal-size RBCs. A parasitemia above 5% (or any falciparum with severe signs) is severe malaria, so the result must be called to the doctor immediately.

5. 5. A 5-year-old has perianal itching at night; stool O&P is negative. The best next step is:

   1. Duodenal aspirate
   2. Repeat stool O&P
   3. Cellophane tape test first thing in the morning
   4. Blood film for microfilariae
   Show answer

   Answer: C. Cellophane tape test first thing in the morning

   Enterobius females crawl out at night to lay eggs on the perianal skin, causing itching. Eggs are rarely in stool. Press clear tape on the perianal skin first thing in the morning before washing, and repeat on several days.

6. 6. A patient passes a proglottid with 9 lateral uterine branches. The main risk for the patient and household is:

   1. Hydatid cysts
   2. Cysticercosis from Taenia solium eggs
   3. Vitamin B12 deficiency
   4. Liver fluke disease
   Show answer

   Answer: B. Cysticercosis from Taenia solium eggs

   Taenia proglottids are told apart by counting uterine branches: T. solium has 7–13, T. saginata 15–20. T. solium eggs can infect humans, forming cysts in muscle and brain (cysticercosis), a risk to the patient and household.

7. 7. A CSF fungal culture is plated only on Mycosel (with cycloheximide). Which important pathogen might be missed?

   1. Trichophyton rubrum
   2. Epidermophyton floccosum
   3. Microsporum canis
   4. Cryptococcus neoformans
   Show answer

   Answer: D. Cryptococcus neoformans

   Cycloheximide in Mycosel inhibits saprophytic molds but also Cryptococcus, many Candida and Aspergillus. Specimens from sterile sites like CSF must be plated on media without cycloheximide.

8. 8. A blood culture yeast is germ tube negative, grows small cells without pseudohyphae on cornmeal agar, and the patient is not improving on fluconazole. The yeast is most likely:

   1. Candida tropicalis
   2. Candida albicans
   3. Candida glabrata
   4. Cryptococcus neoformans
   Show answer

   Answer: C. Candida glabrata

   Candida glabrata is germ tube negative and makes only small yeast cells without pseudohyphae on cornmeal agar. It is often less susceptible or resistant to fluconazole, explaining the poor response.

Practice more Parasitology, Mycology & Virology questions

How you review in MedTech Reviewer

• Learning path: short lessons, each followed by questions, with a checkpoint at the end of every unit.
• Spaced repetition: questions you miss come back sooner, so key facts stick for exam day.
• Flashcards and timed quizzes in exam style, with an explanation for every answer.
• Board-readiness score per subject, so you know where to focus.
• Arcade games, PvP battles and Guilds to keep reviewing fun with classmates.

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