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Trypanosoma of both the rhodesiense and gambiense types can affect other animals such as cattle and wild animals. [1] African trypanosomiasis has generally been considered an anthroponotic disease and thus its control program was mainly focused on stopping the transmission by treating human cases and eliminating the vector.
Trypanosoma is a genus of kinetoplastids (class Trypanosomatidae [1]), a monophyletic [2] group of unicellular parasitic flagellate protozoa. Trypanosoma is part of the phylum Euglenozoa . [ 3 ] The name is derived from the Ancient Greek trypano- (borer) and soma (body) because of their corkscrew-like motion.
Trypanosoma brucei gambiense is the second type of protozoan which usually results in more chronic disease patterns. [15] Its main reservoir is the cattle populations. Although it is also fatal, death can take months or years to occur. [17] Geographical separation of these two variants of trypanosomes occurs along the Rift Valley.
Trypanosoma brucei is a species of parasitic kinetoplastid belonging to the genus Trypanosoma that is present in sub-Saharan Africa.Unlike other protozoan parasites that normally infect blood and tissue cells, it is exclusively extracellular and inhabits the blood plasma and body fluids. [1]
A sketch of two women suffering from Winterbottom's Sign. Winterbottom's sign is a swelling of lymph nodes (lymphadenopathy) along the posterior cervical lymph node chain, associated with the early phase of African trypanosomiasis (African sleeping sickness), a disease caused by the parasites Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense and Trypanosoma brucei gambiense.
The three major human diseases caused by trypanosomatids are; African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness, caused by Trypanosoma brucei and transmitted by tsetse flies [3]), South American trypanosomiasis (Chagas disease, caused by T. cruzi and transmitted by triatomine bugs), and leishmaniasis (a set of trypanosomal diseases caused by various species of Leishmania transmitted by sandflies [4]).
The disease is caused by trypanosomes of several species in the genus Trypanosoma such as T. brucei. T. vivax causes nagana mainly in West Africa, although it has spread to South America. [1] The trypanosomes infect the blood of the vertebrate host, causing fever, weakness, and lethargy, which lead to weight loss and anemia.
Drug therapy, using Eflornithine and Melarsoprol Pentamidine for T. gambiense and Suramin (Antrypol) for either Trypanosoma brucei rhodensiense and Trypanosoma brucei gambiense, or combinations of these medications, can help treat this disease, but vaccines can not be used due to antigenic variation. [citation needed]