Trypanosoma

Question 1

Characteristics

Answer 1

Class Kinetoplasta
Kinetoplast: disc shaped mass of circular DNA inside large tubular mitochondria
Kinetosome: beginning of flagellum (mastigote = flagellum)
Undulating membrane (locomotion), glycocalyx (coating), glycosomes (splicing RNA)
Heteroxenous (live in blood tissues of all vertebrates and bloodsucking invertebrates for part of life cycle

Question 2

Section Salivaria v. Stercoraria

Answer 2

Salivaria: transmitted orally, Tsetse fly

Stercoraria: transmitted fecal/oral, kissing or assassin bug

Question 3

Various varieties in life cycle

Answer 3

Amastigote: nucleus - kinetoplast - kinetosome (small, close together)
Choanomastigote: same as above but further apart
Promastigote: same as above but more elongated
Opisthomatigote: kinetoplast - kinetosome - nucleus
Epimastigote: nucleus - sidebent kinetoplast and then kinetosome
Trypomastigote: sidebent kinetoplast and then kinetosome - nucleus

Question 4

Trypanosoma brucei brucei

Answer 4

Tsetse fly
Nagana disease
Wild and domestic animals

Question 5

Trypanosoma brucei gambiense and rhodesiense

Answer 5

Tsetse fly
African Sleeping sickness
Humans
Section Salivaria

Question 6

Trypanosoma cruzi

Answer 6

Rhodinus (kissing bug) or Triatoma (assassin bug)
Chagas’ disease or American Sleeping Sickness
Humans
Section Stercoraria

Question 7

Infection

Answer 7

African Sleeping Sickness (gambiense):
First stage: fever, ha, joint pain, itching
Second stage: confusion, sensory disturbances, poor coordination, disturbance of sleeping cycle, Winterbottom’s sign

Chagas’ disease (cruzi):
Tissue swelling, Romana sign (swelling of eyelid/lymph node), heart and nervous system damage

Question 8

Treatment

Answer 8

First stage:
Gambiense -> Pentamidine
Rhodesiense -> Suramin
Second stage:
Melasoprol
Gambiense -> Eflornithine (for neuro)
Eflornithine + Nifurtimox -> resurrection drug

Question 9

Prognosis

Answer 9

Fatal if not treated