Trypanosomiasis, Man

The following trypanosomes commonly have been found in humans: T. brucei gambiense and T. b. rhodesiense (Sleeping Sickness), T. cruzi (Chagas’ Disease, Man), and T. rangeli. The first three produce disease; the last gives rise to asymptomatic infection in Latin America and must be distinguished from the less frequent, but pathogenic T. cruzi.

Since Trypanosoma cruzi, restricted to America, is a mainly intracellular protozoan parasite, while the African trypanosomes (T. brucei sp.) live extracellularily, the immune defense mechanisms against these parasites as well as the mechanisms of pathogenesis are distinct (Chagas’ Disease, Man/Immune Responses, Sleeping Sickness/Immune Responses).

Therapy

Trypanocidal Drugs, Man.