trypanosomiasis

Any disease caused by a trypanosome. SYN: trypanosomosis.

- acute t. SYN: Rhodesian t..

- African t. a serious endemic disease in tropical Africa, of two types: Gambian or West African t. and Rhodesian or East African t..

- American t. See South American t..

- chronic t. SYN: Gambian t..

- Cruz t. SYN: South American t..

- East African t. SYN: Rhodesian t..

- Gambian t. a chronic disease of humans caused by Trypanosoma brucei gambiense in northern and sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal east to Sudan and Uganda; characterized by splenomegaly, drowsiness, an uncontrollable urge to sleep, and the development of psychotic changes; basal ganglia and cerebellar involvement commonly lead to chorea and athetosis; the terminal phase of the disease is characterized by wasting, anorexia, and emaciation that gradually leads to coma and death, usually from intercurrent infection. SYN: chronic African sleeping sickness, chronic t., West African sleeping sickness, West African t..

- Rhodesian t. a disease of humans caused by Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense in eastern Africa from Ethiopia and Uganda south to Zimbabwe; it is clinically similar to Gambian t. but of shorter duration and more acute in form; patients suffer repeated episodes of pyrexia, become anemic, and die commonly from cardiac failure. SYN: acute African sleeping sickness, acute t., East African sleeping sickness, East African t..

- South American t. t. caused by Trypanosoma (or Schizotrypanum) cruzi and transmitted by certain species of reduviid (triatomine) bugs. In its acute form, it is seen most frequently in young children, with swelling of the skin at the site of entry, most often the face, and regional lymph node enlargement; in its chronic form it can assume several aspects, commonly cardiomyopathy, but megacolon and megaesophagus also occur; natural reservoirs include dogs, armadillos, rodents, and other domestic, domiciliated, and wild mammals. SYN: Chagas disease, Chagas-Cruz disease, Cruz t..

- West African t. SYN: Gambian t..

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try·pano·so·mi·a·sis tri-.pan-ə-sə-'mī-ə-səs n, pl -a·ses -.sēz infection with or disease (as African sleeping sickness or Chagas' disease) caused by flagellates of the genus Trypanosoma

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n.

any disease caused by the presence of parasitic protozoans of the genus Trypanosoma. The two most important diseases are Chagas' disease (South American trypanosomiasis) and sleeping sickness (African trypanosomiasis).

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try·pano·so·mi·a·sis (tri-pan″o-so-miґə-sis) infection with protozoa of the genus Trypanosoma. In humans this can cause East African trypanosomiasis, West African trypanosomiasis, and Chagas disease. In domestic animals, trypanosomal diseases include nagana, dourine, mal de caderas, and surra.