Princess Angeline O.

Lacatango February 2, 2017

ZOO 173 ST-2L Score:

EXERCISE 1. PARASITIC FLAGELLATES

Study Questions:
1. What are the similarities and differences in the clinical manifestations and pathology of
Gambian and Rhodesian trypanosomiasis? Explain briefly.
The Gambian and Rhodesian trypanosomiasis is caused by two different parasites,
namely the Trypanosoma brucei gambiense and the Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense
respectively. The Gambian trypanosomiasis causes a chronic infection which typically
lasts for more than a year, and is brought upon by the tsetse flies of the riverine bushes
in West and Central Africa. The Rhodesian trypanosomiasis on the other hand, causes an
acute infection to humans which usually lasts for three to six months, and is brought
upon by the tsetse flies from the woodland savannah of East Africa (Swart, 2011). The
Rhodesian trypanosomiasis has a higher mortality rate compared to the Gambian
trypanosomiasis (Bhatia & Ichpujani, 2002). Other than these differences, most of the
clinical manifestations and the pathology of both diseases share several similarities in
terms of symptoms and damage to the infected person.

2. What are the morphological differences between Trypanosoma brucei complex and
Trypanosoma cruzi?
The Trypanosoma brucei has two morphological forms: the trypomastigote with the
kinetoplast posterior to the nucleus and the epimastigote with the kinetoplast anterior
to the nucleus. The Trypanosoma cruzi on the other hand has a third morphological
form, which is the amastigote which has an inconspicuous flagellum compared to the
other two forms of the T. brucei (Bhatia & Ichpujani, 2002).

3. How does Giardia cause human illness? Describe briefly its pathogenicity.
Giardia causes Giardiasis, which is one of the most frequently diagnosed intestinal
parasitic diseases worldwide. The mechanism in how this organism causes diseases is
still unclear, though some studies show that one of the possible causes is the release of
parasite products like proteinases that attacks the villi of the brush border and also
causes villi flattening which results to the inability to degrade disaccharide sugars due to
the attachment of the trophozoites to the lumen (Nazer, 2016). The change in the villi
leads to the inability to absorb nutrients and water which then causes the diarrhea.
Sometimes there is also increased bacterial growth in the intestine (Farthing, 1993).
 Giardiasis causes diarrhea, greasy stools, stomach cramps and dehydration, though
sometimes a person who is infected can appear asymptomatic (Center for Disease
Control and Prevention, 2015).

4. With respect to their geographical distribution, are parasitic flagellates cosmopolitan or

localized? Discuss briefly the relationship between the distribution of some parasites
and their vectors, if any. Do parasites exhibit vector specificity?
Parasitic flagellate distribution depends on their vectors. For example, the
Trypanosoma brucei appears localized in some parts of Africa due to its vectorthe
Tsetse flywhich only is present in the said continent, therefore making the African
Sleeping Sickness only present in Africa. The Giardia on the other hand can be present in
numerous wild and domestic animals and is easily transmitted, which is why Giardiasis is
common worldwide. Most parasites exhibit vector specificity which is why some are not
always present in all place, but some also has low specificity on vectors thus allowing
them to develop on a wide range of animal species.

References
Bhatia, R. & Ichpujani, R.L. (2002). Medical Parasitology. Jaypee Brothers Publishers: India.
Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2015). Giardia. Retrieved from
https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/giardia/illness.html.
Farthing, M.J.G. (1993). Pathogenesis of Giardiasis. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg (1993) 87
(Supplement_3): 17-21. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/0035-9203(93)90531-T.
Nazer, H. (2016). Giardiasis. Medscape Reference. Retrieved from
http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/176718-overview#a3.
Swart, E. (2011, June). African Trypanosomiasis: The Sleep of Death. African Expedition
Magazine. 3(6): pp. 30-34.