Trypanosomes

Trypanosomes are parasitic protozoa belonging to the class of flagella.

Trypanosoma gambiense and Trypanosoma rhodesiense
The equivalent name of Trypanosoma gambiense is Trypanosoma brucei


 * occurrence : they are connected by the same continent - Africa - but each occurs in a different part:
 * T. gambiense: West Africa
 * T. rhodesiense: East Africa
 * they have a single flagellum that forms an undulating membrane along the body
 * they are extracellular parasites
 * we find them in blood, lymph and cerebrospinal fluid
 * carrier : tse-tse fly or glossina
 * source of infection :
 * T. gambiense: sick person
 * T. rhodesiense: reservoir animals (humans enter the trypanosome life cycle randomly)

In human disease, both species cannot be distinguished

Life cycle

 * 1) trypanosomes develop in the gut, sucker and salivary glands of the carrier
 * 2) glossina sucks trypomastigotes
 * 3) procyclic trypomastigotes travel to the salivary glands and transform into epimastigotes
 * 4) at the end of their development, glossins appear in the saliva as so-called metacyclic trypomastigotes = the only stage capable of infecting humans
 * 5) as soon as the glosin stings, it releases trypanosomes into human skin = inoculatory transmission
 * 6) The sting of a fly is very painful

Disease
You can find more detailed information on the Sleeping Disease page.

Trypanosoma cruzi

 * slender whipworm with a wavy body
 * invasive, extacellular and intracellular parasite = enters nuclear cells (endothelial cells, muscle cells of all types and neuroglia)
 * transmission :
 * bugs - especially
 * transplacentally
 * transfusion (blood)
 * orally - rarely - this can happen with insufficient heat treatment of the nine-banded armadillo, from which the bug is infected

Life cycle

 * 1) Trypanosomes multiply in the intestine of bugs (subfamily Triatominae) in the form of epimastigotes, which turn into infectious trypomastigotes in the rectum of bugs.
 * 2) Then the bugs attach to humans → they start sucking (especially at night).
 * 3) When sucking bugs, they harden - trypanosomes are present in the feces - the so-called contaminating mode of transmission.
 * 4) Trypanosomes are able to actively penetrate the skin.
 * 5) Metacyclic trypomastigotes penetrate the body cells of the host, where they multiply intensively as small amastigotes.
 * 6) After several divisions, shortly before the cell ruptures, amastigotes turn into trypomastigts, which are released into the bloodstream and initiate infection of other cells.
 * 7) Additional blood bugs become infected when the blood is sucked.

Disease
You can find more detailed information on the Chagas disease page .