Trypanosoma is a notable genus of trypanosomes, a monophyletic group of unicellular parasitic protozoa. The name is derived from the Greek trypaô (boring) and soma (body) because of the way the organisms move. Different species infect a variety of different vertebrates, including humans, causing the trypanosomiasis diseases, e.g. sleeping sickness. Most species are transmitted by invertebrates such as biting insects and leeches.

Trypanosoma undergo a complex lifecycle which may include several different morphological forms especially in the species which are transmitted by invertebrates. They may go through a variety of different forms in the invertebrate host, but in the vertebrate host the cells take a characteristic form called a trypomastigote, where the flagellum is runs from the posterior to the anterior of the cell and is connected by an undulating membrane.

Species of Trypanosoma include the following:

• T. avium, which causes trypanosomiasis in birds
• T. boissoni, in elasmobranch
• T. brucei, which causes sleeping sickness in humans and nagana in cattle
• T. carassii, in freshwater teleosts
• T. cruzi, which causes Chagas disease in humans
• T. congolense, which causes nagana in cattle, horses, and camels
• Trypanosoma equinum Voges 1901, Horses infected by Tabanidae, South America
• T. equiperdum, which causes dourine or Covering sickness in horses and other Equidae
• T. evansi, which causes one form of the disease surra in certain animals (human infection reported in 2005 in India ^*)
• Trypanosoma lewisi, in rats
• Trypanosoma melophagium Sheep infected by Melophagus ovinus
• Trypanosoma percae in fish: Perca fluviatilis
• Trypanosoma rangeli, believed to be nonpathogenic to humans
• T. rotatorium in amphibian,
• T. simiae, which causes nagana in animals
• T. suis, which causes a different form of surra
• T. theileri, a large trypanosome infecting ruminants
• T. triglae in marine teleosts
• T. vivax, which causes the disease nagana

References

Report on Trypanosomes, Thomas, (London, 1905)

Tropical diseases, Sir Patrick Manson, (fifth edition, London, 1914)

Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, C. W. Daniels, (New York, 1914)

The Trypanosomiases, Edited by Ian Maudlin, Peter H Holmes, Michael A Miles (CAB International, 2004, ISBN 085199475X)

Trypanosomen | Trypanosoma | Trypanosoma | Tripanosomos | Świdrowce | Tripanossoma | 锥虫