Trypanosoma
Trypanosoma
Runaway child
Category="Euglenozoa"Trypanosoma is a notable genus of trypanosomes, a group of parasitic protozoa. The name is derived from the Greek trypaô (boring) and soma (body) because of the way the organisms move. Different species infect a variety of different vertebrates, including humans, causing the Trypanosomiasis diseases. Most species are transmitted by invertebrates such as biting insects and leeches.
Trypanosoma undergo a complex lifecycle which may include several different morphological forms especially in the species which are transmitted by invertebrates. They may go through a variety of different forms in the invertebrate host, but in the vertebrate host the cells take a characteristic form called a trypomastigote, where the flagellum is runs from the posterior to the anterior of the cell and is connected by an undulating membrane.
Species of Trypanosoma include the following:
- T. brucei, which causes Sleeping sickness in humans and Nagana in cattle
- T. cruzi, which causes Chagas disease in humans
- T. congolense, which causes Nagana in cattle, horses, and camels
- Trypanosoma equinum Voges 1901, Horses infected by Tabanidae, South America
- T. equiperdum, which causes dourine or Covering sickness in horses and other Equidae
- T. evansi, which causes one form of the disease Surra in certain animals (human infection reported in 2005 in India )
- Trypanosoma lewisi, rats
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Trypanosoma melophagium Sheeps infected by Melophagus ovinus Trypanosoma percae in fish: Perca fluviatilis -
T. simiae, which causes Nagana in animals -
T. suis, which causes a different form of Surra -
T. vivax, which causes the disease Nagana
References
- Report on Trypanosomes, Thomas, (London, 1905) Tropical diseases, Sir Patrick Manson, (fifth edition, London, 1914) Tropical Medicine and Hygiene'', C. W. Daniels, (New York, 1914)