Trypanosoma gambiense is a parasitic protozoan that causes African trypanosomiasis or sleeping sickness. The word is pronounced /trɪˌpænəˈsoʊmə ɡæmˈbaɪɛns/ with the stress on the second syllable of Trypanosoma and the first syllable of gambiense. The spelling of Trypanosoma is derived from Greek words 'trypano' meaning drill, and 'soma' meaning body. Whereas, gambiense denotes the region where the disease was first identified. Trypanosoma gambiense is transmitted by the bite of the tsetse fly and affects humans as well as animals.
Trypanosoma gambiense is a species of parasitic flagellate protozoan belonging to the genus Trypanosoma. It is primarily responsible for causing chronic African trypanosomiasis, also known as sleeping sickness, in humans. This disease is transmitted to humans through the bites of infected tsetse flies (genus Glossina).
The morphology of Trypanosoma gambiense consists of a single, elongated cell with a whip-like flagellum, which helps the parasite to move through the bloodstream and tissues of its host. It has a complex life cycle that involves multiple stages, including the bloodstream form, which infects various organs and tissues of the human body, and the tsetse fly midgut form, which further develops and multiplies.
Trypanosoma gambiense infections are prevalent in certain regions of sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in central and western Africa, where they have become a serious public health concern. The initial symptoms of sleeping sickness caused by this protozoan include fever, headaches, and joint pain, which can progress to more severe symptoms, including neurological dysfunction, sleep disturbances, and eventually coma if left untreated.
Treatment for Trypanosoma gambiense infections usually involves the administration of medications such as pentamidine or suramin at the early stages, while advanced stages often require more toxic drugs like melarsoprol or eflornithine. Vector control measures, such as the use of insecticide-treated nets and traps, are also important for preventing the spread of this parasitic disease.
The parasite of sleeping-sickness.
A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.
The word "Trypanosoma" has its roots in Greek. "Trypano" comes from the Greek word "tryphein", which means "to pierce or bore".
"Gambiense" refers to the region where Trypanosoma gambiense was first identified, in what is now known as the country of Gabon in West Africa. The name of the disease caused by Trypanosoma gambiense is African trypanosomiasis, also known as sleeping sickness.