Trypanosoma

From Freepedia

? Trypanosoma
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Protista Phylum: Euglenozoa Class: Kinetoplastea Order: Trypanosomatida Genus: Trypanosoma

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 [1])
• Trypanosoma lewisi, rats
• 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)