Question

Which protist causes Leucorrhoea?

Answer 1

Hint When thick and yellowish or whitish fluid discharge from the vagina it is called leucorrhoea. Sometimes, it is greenish in colour. As white discharge from the vagina is common among females, it is generally ignored but it may be due to infection by a protist which causes leucorrhoea.

Complete answer
The white fluid discharge is important to keep the vagina clean and moist. There is no need to be concerned when discharge is thin and odourless. When it causes itching and odour, it may be a sign of leucorrhoea. Various factors are responsible for the discharge from vagina. These are – pregnancy, hormones and sometimes infections.
In normal leucorrhoea, yellow or whitish and odourless discharge occur from vagina. But in abnormal leucorrhoea, yellow discharge occurs which has odour. Foamy discharge also occurs in leucorrhoea. The WBC count also increases from 10-20 in vaginal discharge. The leucorrhoea is caused by the protist Trichomonas vaginalis. The person infected with this disease shows symptoms such as itching and burning sensation in vagina.
The main cause of leucorrhoea is sexually transmitted diseases. Non-hygienic conditions also result in growth of yeast and many other pathogens. As the moist conditions are favourable for the growth of various pathogens.

Thus the answer to the above question is Trichomonas vaginalis, as it lives in the female vagina. It is an anaerobic and flagellated protist which causes most of the infections in humans. The symptoms due to infection are visible in 8-18 days.

Note: The leucorrhoea disease can be prevented by adopting some good habits. We can maintain good hygiene and can have a balanced diet. This can prevent growth of pathogens. Using condoms during coitus can prevent sexually transmitted diseases. The treatment of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) is a treatment of leucorrhoea as the disease is mainly caused due to STDs.