Trypanosomiasis Health Dictionary

Chagas’ disease, or American trypanosomiasis, is a disease widespread in Central and South America, and caused by the Trypanosoma cruzi. The disease is transmitted by the biting bugs, Panstrongylus megistus and Triatoma infestans. It occurs in an acute and a chronic form. The former, which is most common in children, practically always affects the heart, and the prognosis is poor. The chronic form is commonest in adolescents and young adults and the outcome depends upon the extent to which the heart is involved. There is no e?ective drug treatment. (See also SLEEPING SICKNESS.)... chagas’ disease

A drug that is used in the prevention and treatment of African trypanosomiasis (see SLEEPING SICKNESS), and in the treatment of LEISHMANIASIS.... pentamidine

The diagnosis and treatment of diseases that occur most commonly in tropical zones of the world. Examples are LEPROSY, MALARIA, SCHISTOSOMIASIS and TRYPANOSOMIASIS. With the great increase in international travel in the past 30 or so years, TROPICAL DISEASES are appearing more often in temperate climates. Global warming may also be enlarging the areas in which tropical disorders naturally occur.... tropical medicine

Unusual frequent occurrence of disease in the light of past experience. The occurrence in a community of region of a group of illness (or an outbreak) of similar nature, clearly in excess of normal expectancy and derived from a common or a propagated source. The number of cases indicating presence of an epidemic will vary according to the infectious agent, size and type of population exposed, previous experience or lack of exposure to the disease, time and place of occurrence. Epidemicity is thus relative to usual frequency of the disease in the same area, among the specified population, at the same season of the year. A single case of a communicable disease long absent from the population (as Smallpox, in Boston) or first invasion by a disease not previously recognised in the area (as American Trypanosomiasis, in Arizona) is to be considered sufficient evidence of an epidemic to require immediate reporting and full investigation.... epidemic

Oedema of the eyelid in early Chagas’ Disease (South American trypanosomiasis) due to the infected faeces of the vector assassin (triatomid) bug causing swelling of the mucosa of the eye.... romana’s sign

A drug used to treat trypanosomiasis or SLEEPING SICKNESS. Side-effects vary in frequency and intensity and are sometimes serious. They include nausea, vomiting, SHOCK and occasionally loss of consciousness.... suramin

One of the Romanowski stains used to stain blood films and blood parasites such as those causing relapsing fever, malaria trypanosomiasis and filariasis.... wright’s stain

A method used in the diagnosis of Chagas’ Disease (South American Trypanosomiasis), in which vector reduviid bugs are allowed to suck the blood from patients suspected of having the infection. The insects are subsequently examined for the presence of trypanosomes in their gut to confirm infection.... xenodiagnosis

(African trypanosomiasis) a disease of tropical Africa caused by the presence in the blood of the parasitic protozoans *Trypanosoma gambiense or T. rhodesiense. The parasites are transmitted through the bite of *tsetse flies. Initial symptoms include fever, headache, and chills, followed later by enlargement of the lymph nodes, anaemia, and pains in the limbs and joints. After a period of several months or even years, the parasites invade the minute blood vessels supplying the central nervous system. This causes drowsiness and lethargy, and ultimately – if untreated – the patient dies. Rhodesian sleeping sickness is the more virulent form of the disease. Drugs used to treat the acute stage of the disease include eflornithine, pentamidine, and suramin; melarsoprol (a drug containing arsenic) is used after the brain is affected. Eradication of tsetse flies helps prevent spread of the infection.... sleeping sickness

n. an agent that kills trypanosomes and is therefore used to treat infestations caused by these parasites (see trypanosomiasis).... trypanocide