Trypanosoma Cruzi Flashcards
order
kinetoplastorida
common name
chaga’s disease
hosts
dogs, cats, humans
what are the reservoir hosts?
many animals, wild and domestic
what are required for growth?
vectors
identification
elongated spindle or leaf shaped nucleus near middle flagella kinetoplast undulating membrane
size?
20 micrometers
what end is pointed?
posterior end
how many flagellum are on the posterior end?
one
what end has a free flagellum?
anterior tip
site of infection
blood- cardiac and smooth muscle
how is this parasite transmitted?
biting insects
life cycle
and infected triatomine insect vector takes a blood meal and releases trypomastigotes in its feces near the bite wound. trypomastigotes enter the host wound. Trypomastigotes invade cells, where they differentiate and invade the circulation as blood stream trypomastigotes. Trypomastigotes infect cells and transform into amastigotes.
who are the common triatomine vector species?
belong to the genera Triatoma, Rhodnius, and Panstrongylus
do blood stream trypomastigotes replicate?
no- replication resumes only when the parasite enters another cell or are ingested by another vector
how does the kissing bug get infected?
by feeding on human or animal blood that contains circulating parasites. the ingested trypomastigotes transform into epimastigotes in the midgut. the parasites multiply and differentiate in the midgut. Turn into infective metacyclic trypomastigotes in the hind gut
how do trypanosomes enter the body?
oral, nasal, conjuctival mucosae or infected bug feces. Also through, placenta, blood transfusion, organ transplant or when dogs drink water with infected bugs
pathogenesis
pathology in heart muscle - highly pathogenic
3 stages of disease: acute, latent, and chronic
who is most susceptible to Chagas?
puppies and kittens
clinical signs
cardiac disease, pale mucous, membranes, lethargy, ascites, hepatomegaly (enlarged liver), splenomegaly, tachyarrhythmia, lymphadenopathy
diagnosis
blood smear
xenodiagnosis or serological tests
treatment
no treatment known
possibly insecticides
what is kinetoplast?
modified mitochondria
what is undulating membrane
external flagellum attached to cell body
what are the various forms of trypanosomatids
trypomastigote, amastigote, epimastigote, promastigote
