As you know, parasites are very common in nature. They enter the body of humans and animals and can live there for a long time. Nevertheless, many types of parasites are not very dangerous and often their presence does not appear. These include giardia, pinworms, roundworms, etc. In some cases, the presence of these parasites makes itself felt by symptoms such as impaired stool, abdominal pain. Sometimes, on the contrary, their presence is imperceptible, and a person does not even suspect the presence of these creatures. The manifestation or absence of symptoms depends on the stage of the parasite's life cycle. But, along with practically "harmless" creatures, there are others, the presence of which leads to serious diseases in humans and animals. An example is trypanosome. This is a unicellular organism having various morphological forms. This parasite belongs to dangerous creatures, since its presence in humans and animals can lead to death.
What is trypanosome?
Despite the fact that trypanosome belongs to unicellular organisms, it is very dangerous. Among the ailments that can develop as a result of its parasitism are Chagas pathology and African sleeping sickness. Which of these nosologies will appear in an infected person depends on the type of trypanosome. The peculiarity of this unicellular parasite is that it does not respond to immune defense mechanisms aimed at combating it. Trypanosome carriers are insects. Depending on the variety of the microorganism, its spread can be bugs or the Tsetse fly. The life cycle of trypanosomes is complex, since during its stay inside the insect and mammal it changes its morphological form several times. The ultimate host for this unicellular organism is humans and animals (horses, dogs). The genus "trypanosomes" are obligate parasites that cannot exist outside the "host". That is, until they enter the body of an insect or mammal, their vital activity is absent.
Varieties of trypanosome parasites
This parasite belongs to the trypanosomatide family. There are 2 types (groups) of these unicellular organisms. Among them:
- Tryivosomes of Salivaria are obligate parasites, the carrier of which is the Tsetse fly. The final "owner" can be any vertebrate animal and human being. During parasitization in each of the macroorganisms, 2 stages of the life cycle of the trypanosome of Saivaria change. This pathogen is found in African countries. When it enters the body, trypanosomiasis develops - sleeping sickness. Pathology refers to anthropozoonoses and most often affects antelopes. When a person is infected, it leads to death.
- Trypanosomes of the Stercoraria group. Parasites of this species are common in Latin America. An intermediate host for them are triatomic bugs. When these insects bite, mammals and humans develop Chagas disease. This pathology leads to heart failure and impaired function of other organs. Mortality from this disease is 30% of the number of infected people.
Morphological forms of trypanosomes
The class of trypanosomes is characterized in that their morphological form changes several times during the life of these microorganisms. This helps them adapt both to the organism of the intermediate host and to parasitize inside mammals. The following forms are distinguished:
- Amastigotic (or leishmanious). When examining trypanosomes through a microscope, you can see a round or oval cell. In most cases, this form does not have a flagellum.
- Promastigotnaya. The cell becomes oblong, the kinetosome is located in front. In the back there is a flagellum (passes in a small hole - pocket). Previously, this form was called leptomonas.
- Epimastigotnaya (or critical). It is characterized by the movement of kinetosomes forward. As a result, it is located almost on a par with the cell nucleus. Unlike the previous form, the flagellum extends from the edge of the short undulating membrane.
- Tripomastigotic. The kinetosome shifts again and takes place behind the cell nucleus. The undulating membrane becomes longer and wider.
- Metacyclic and invasive forms are characterized by the complete absence of flagella.
The life cycle of trypanosomes in the body of an insect
It should be remembered that these parasites are obligate, that is, they cannot exist outside the host organism. The moment, from the trypanosome entering the carrier body and ending with its adaptation to the body of a mammal or human, is called the life cycle. During this time, the parasite multiplies by division, receives nutrients. The life cycle of trypanosomes implies several successive changes in its morphology. The parasite enters the body of the Tsetse fly in tripomastigotic form. Immediately after that, he loses glycocalyx - an element that is contained in the cell membrane. Within 10 days, trypanosome moves from the back of the midgut of the fly to the front. There the parasite multiplies. Then for 8-10 days it moves further - to the salivary glands. At this point, the parasite cell is fully equipped with mitochondria, since it contains functional cytochromes. Further, the parasite takes on an epimastigotic form. In the salivary glands, it multiplies again, partly attaches to the epithelium. The next stage in the life cycle is the transition to the metacyclic form. At this point, trypanosomes cease to divide, detach from the epithelium and fall into the lumen of the salivary glands. On average, the cycle takes from 3 to 4 weeks. Transformation into other morphological variants occurs in the body of the final host - a mammal or human.
Trypanosome: second phase of the life cycle
The next stage of the trypanosome life cycle begins from the moment it enters the body of the final host - a human or a mammal. They penetrate there when bitten by an insect in metacyclic form. Once in the body, the morphology of the cell changes to amastigotic. In this form, the parasite multiplies. The formation of pseudocysts occurs. Having penetrated into the space between the cells, they first take on the pro, and then the epimastigot form. The pathogenic effect on the body begins after the parasite enters the bloodstream. There, it takes a tripomastigot form and infects host cells. The life cycle of trypanosomes in his body can be repeated several times.
The mechanism of parasitosis
There are 2 types of trypasomiasis (Chigas pathology and sleeping sickness). Infection with a particular disease depends on which of the varieties (groups) of parasites has entered the body. The mechanism of development of these pathologies is different. When a Tsetse fly bites a Salivaria trypanosome, it will bite a person or animal with sleeping sickness. In the first weeks, the parasite is located in the subcutaneous fat. From there, it enters the vascular system. The result is damage to the blood-forming and immune organs: spleen, liver, lymph nodes. After further reproduction, parasites penetrate the cells of the nervous system. Getting them into the cerebrospinal fluid causes damage to the tissue of the brain and spinal cord.
The development of tryptosomiasis Stercoraria
The introduction of this group of parasites occurs in two ways. The first is through the bites of bedbugs. The second - when entering tryponosomes on the mucous membranes with dirty hands. At the beginning of infection, a local specific inflammatory reaction occurs - the development of the "chagoma", parasites spread through the subcutaneous fat. After that, with a blood stream they are carried to the organs. This group of trypanosomes affects lymphoid tissue, liver and muscles. The greatest danger is the damaging effect of parasites on cardiomyocytes. It is heart failure that leads to death from this disease.
Diagnosis of trypanosome carriage
Trypanosome refers to unicellular parasites especially dangerous for humans and mammals. This microorganism propagates asexually, the mechanism is longitudinal division. Trypanosomiasis is diagnosed in most cases in equatorial Africa and South America. This is due to the presence of insects in these areas, which are intermediate hosts for the parasite. Nevertheless, the disease can also occur in other countries, for example, after a person arrives from a place of infection. With Chagas pathology, the patient is worried about the following symptoms: enlarged lymph nodes around the eyes, intestinal motility, pain in the heart, chills, myalgia. Most often in adults, the disease proceeds in a chronic form and can last several years. In children under 5 years old, acute course and high mortality prevail. Suspicion of sleeping sickness can be on such signs as progressive weakness, headache, apathy, coma. To identify parasites in the body, serological diagnostics is carried out: an antibody titer to pathogens is detected.
What to do with trypanosome infection?
The idea of how to remove parasites from the body has only an infectious disease doctor. Since trypanosomes are pathogens of fatal pathologies, assistance should be started immediately after their identification. Parasitosis treatment is effective only in the initial stages of the disease. Therefore, laboratory diagnostics should be carried out as soon as possible in case of suspected bite of a bug or Tsetse fly. When confirming the diagnosis, hospitalization is required, since drugs against trypanosomes can cause various adverse reactions.
Drug treatment of dangerous parasitoses
Only a specialist can answer the question of how to remove parasites. The treatment of sleeping sickness depends on the stage of the pathology. If only the hematopoietic and immune system are affected, the drugs “Berilin”, “Pentamidine” and “Suramin” are used. With the progression of the disease, these medicines are ineffective. If the nervous system is involved in the process, the drug "Difluoromethylornithine" is prescribed. Treatment of Chagas disease brings results only at the stage of extracellular parasitism. For this purpose, the medication Nifurtinox is prescribed.
Prevention against trypanosomiasis
In order to prevent infection with trypanosomiasis, the habitats of insects that are intermediate hosts of parasites are sprayed with special chemicals (carry out pest control). When sick animals are identified, they are destroyed to prevent the spread of infection.