Trypanosoma

• Trypanosomiasis is a disease caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma.
• Diagnosis of Trypanosomiasis in Animals depends on demonstrating trypanosomes through centrifugation, looking for motile parasites.
• The causative agent of Trypanosomiasis involves the Order Kinetoplastida, family Trypanosomatidae, Genus Trypanosoma, Subgenus Nannomonas for Trypanosoma congolense, Subgenus Duttonella for Trypanosoma vivax, and Subgenus Trypanozoon for Trypanosoma brucei ssp.
• Trypanosoma is a genus of parasitic protozoa that comprises several species which are responsible for diseases in humans and animals, such as Nagana in cattle and sleeping sickness in humans.
• The primary mode of transmission of Trypanosoma species is through the bite of an infected vector, which is often a blood-feeding insect such as the tsetse flies (Glosina species).
• Trypanosomes are recognized as it has the ability to allow genetic variability, enabling the parasites to modify their surface protein to escape immune detection, leading to evasion of the host immune response.
• Trypanosoma species such as Trypanosoma congolense, Trypanosoma vivax and Trypanosoma brucei are the ones responsible for the Nagana in cattle.
• Trypanosomiasis in animals can lead to severe disability and eventual death.
• Diagnosis of Trypanosomiasis can be done through clinical signs, clinical evaluation, blood smear, and examining the buffy coat area of a PCV tube after centrifugation.
• Treatment for Trypanosomiasis includes Isometamidium, therapeutic drugs such as diminazene aceturate and homidium chloride, and prophylactic drugs such as homidium chloride and homidium bromide.
• Clinical signs of Trypanosomiasis include intermittent fever, anemia, oedema, lacrimation, enlarged lymph nodes, abortion, decreased fertility, loss of appetite, body condition and productivity, early death in acute forms, and emaciation and eventual death in chronic forms.
• Prevention of Trypanosomiasis involves controlling the fly population, eradicating the tsetse flies that transmit the disease, spraying insecticide on the habitat of the tsetse flies, modifying the habitat to provide sufficient ventilation and sunlight, quarantining endemic areas, monitoring the health of herd on a regular check up, conducting regular health checks on livestock to identify and address issues promptly, and looking for signs of fly-related problems such as irritability or reduced feeding.
• Trypanosomosis is carried by an infected animal's blood lymph and is caused by flagellated protozoan parasites that first live in the fluids and tissue of their host animal.
• Cattle that are bitten by tsetse flies are in danger of having trypanosomiasis because they carry the Trypanosoma parasite.
• Trypanosoma can enter the circulation when the fly feeds on blood.
• Following this, the bloodstream will be penetrated since trypanosomas are tiny, extremely motile, and may elude the host's immune system by modifying their surface coat proteins which is a process known as antigenic variation.
• Trypanosoma can reduce resistance.
• When parasites feed on blood, it produces hemolysis and anemia, typically causing a fever, and if it occurs repeatedly, the sick calves appear undernourished and lose weight.
• There would be neurological problems, lymph node enlargement, and reproductive abnormalities, including abortion in cattle.