Trypanosoma: Trypanosomiasis
African and American forms of Trypanosomiasis.
African form = "Sleeping sickness"
Transmitted by tsetse flies, which are found in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Trypanosoma brucei gambiense, which is found mostly in Western Africa, is responsible for most cases, and individuals may be asymptomatic for years.
Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense, which is found mostly in Eastern Africa, is responsible for a rarer, more acute form that becomes apparent within weeks or months of infection.
Signs/Symptoms of African trypanosomiasis present in three phases:
– Chancre phase, in which the area around the tsetse fly bite becomes red, swollen, and may form an ulcer.
– Hemolymphatic phase, which is marked by fever and lymphadenopathy.
– Meningoencephalitic phase, which is characterized by sensory, motor, psychiatric, and sleep disturbances.
Without treatment, infection leads to coma and death.
American trypanosomiasis = "Chagas disease"
Caused by Trypanosoma cruzi; transmitted in the feces of
triatomids (bugs), which are found mostly in Latin American countries. These bugs are often referred to as "kissing bugs" because they tend to bite on the face, especially around the mouth.
Acute phase of infection is characterized by high parasitemia; however, symptoms are often absent or mild.
– Commonly reported symptoms include fever, aches, and rashes; a characteristic swelling of the eyelids, called Romaña's sign, is a helpful diagnostic clue.
If untreated, some patients enter a more serious
chronic phase:
Common complications include cardiac enlargement, arrhythmias, arrest, or other heart issues, and,
Gastrointestinal tract problems, especially enlargement of the esophagus and large intestine.
