Trypanosoma cruzi By : Sahro and Amal

Interesting Facts Known as Chagas Disease Named after the Brazilian physician Carlos Chagas who discovered the disease in 1909. In United States, Chagas Disease is considered a neglected infection of poverty (NIP) since its found mostly in those with limited resources and limited access to medical care.

Taxonomy Kingdom Protista Phylum Euglenozoa Subphylum Kinetoplasta Class Trypanosomatidea Order Trypansomatid

Definitive Host Dogs Humans Armadillos Raccoons

Intermediate hosts Reduviid bugs Rhodnius Triatoma Panstrongylus

Geographic Distribution Southern United States Southern Argentina Mostly in poor rural areas of Mexico Central America and South America

The life cycle The Reduviid bugs feeds on an infected individual and ingests the trypomastigote stage of the parasite. Matures to the promastigote in the gut of the bug and multiplies. Move toward anus of bug and transforms to metacyclic tryptomastigot. Bug bites host and gets blood meal.

The life cycle Defecates with trypomastigote in feces on host while taking meal. Bites becomes itchy when host itches the bite, it scratches the parasite into the open wound. Parasite circulates in the bloodstream and matures into the amastigote phase and penetrates smooth and cardiac muscle. Forms pseudocyst and undergoes bionary fission and will multiply until the pseudocyst bursts and then it will penetrate more tissue Some trypomastigotes will go into the blood stream and be available for a Reduviid bug to ingest when it takes a blood meal.

Life cycle

Pathogenesis Acute phase - occurring immediately after infection Lasts up to few weeks or months Parasites may be found in the circulating blood Symptoms : fever or swelling around the site of inoculation . Anemia , loss of strength and nervous disorders.

Pathogenesis Acute phase Romana’s sign- red , swollen, pus filled sore on the eye. Where the parasite entered into the skin or mucous membrane.

Pathogenesis Chronic phase Few or no parasite are found in the parasite. Most people unaware of their infection. Lasts 10-30 years- toxin released cause denervation and muscle parasite penetrates looses elasticity.

Diagnosis Thick blood smear Xenodiagnosis : have a lab Reduviid bug that know is clean bite the suspected host. Let the bug be for a while to allow maturing of the parasite. Then crush the bug and look for promastigotes. Serodiagnosis : blood test

Treatment Medication for Chagas Disease is effective during acute phase of the infection. The drugs of choice are Benznidazole or Nifurtimox.

Control Keep village clean of dogs or Raccoons or other possible hosts with parasite. Protect yourself while sleeping by raise sleeping area off ground or sleep in netting. DDT- poison

Review time ☺☺☺ Name two places this parasite can be found. What is Romana’s sign? What are the symptoms for Acute and chronic phase? Name two definitive host and one intermediate host. How can you prevent/control this parasite?

References http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/chagas/disease.html http://dpd.cdc.gov/dpdx/HTML/TrypanosomiasisAm erican.htm Roberts,L.Janovy, J.Foundations of Parasitology, 8th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill,2009