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Trypanosomiasis Research Paper

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INTRODUCTION
Trypanosomiasis is caused by a parasitic protozoan of the family Trypanosomatidae and genus Trypanosoma. Trypanosomes can infect mammals including humans and can exhibit very high parasitaemia as blood parasites; it is also considered a tissue parasite, due to its ability to invade the nervous system. It is the agent that causes sleeping sickness in humans.
This disease in vertebrates is colloquially known as Surra (Derived from Marathi) or Mal de caderas in Brazil but this term was also at times used for rabies. The spread observed in Bolivia around 1840. This disease is highly fatal, unless treated, and occurs in most vertebrates including the Equine family where the parasite principally is transmitted by the bite of the horse-flies …show more content…

ORIGIN, HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION.

Trypanosoma evansi was the first mammalian trypanosome to be described in the world by Griffith Evans in 1880 while working in India with Equines.

Trypanosoma evansi is thought to be derived from T. brucei brucei, due to its genetic closeness, the broad range of hosts and geographical distribution of Trypanosoma evansi is questionably attributed to the loss of maxicircle kinetoplast DNA, which is also said to be the reason behind its incapabilty of infecting the invertebrate vector and is unable to undergo its cycle in Glossina as in the case of T. Brucei. The exact occurrence of the phenomenon is unknown, recent studies have shown it may have occurred several time over the course of its evolution. (1)

Around the world T. evansi is seen in all African countries, Arabian Peninsula, most of Asia and parts of Russia. (2) Surra in India dates back to VIII century B.C. (3) where its prevalence is found all over the country with the environment being most conducive for the breeding of the fly vectors

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