Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense
African trypanosomiasis
Trypanosoma brucei is a protozoan parasite causing sleeping sickness (African trypanosomiasis) which is found in west to central and east sub-Saharan Africa. Tsetse flies are vectors of this protozoan. Fever, headache and joint pains may appear several weeks after bites by Tsetse flies, followed by central nervous system symptoms, like clouding of consciousness, hyper- and hyposomia or lethargy, anemia, and malnutrition, leading to systemic breakdown and even death. Chemotherapy is effective for patients at an early stage of infection.
Trypanosoma cruzi
Chagas disease (American trypanosomiasis)
This disease is distributed in South America, caused by a protozoan parasite, Trypanosoma cruzi, which is transmitted by a blood-sucking shield bug. Symptoms appear a week after infection, including fever, a rash, and edema in the eyelid. Most patients recover naturally, but after a few years to decades, chronic symptoms may appear, like heart trouble and dilated esophagus and colon. Patients may die from heart failure.
