Question

The disease caused by Trypanosoma gambiense is
A) Sleeping sickness
B) Kala-azar
C) Diphtheria
D) Dysentery

Answer 1

Hint: Trypanosomes belong to the genus Kinetoplastid which is a group of unicellular parasitic flagellate protozoan. The name is derived from the Greek word trypano which means borer and soma which means body due to their cork- screw like motion.

Complete answer:
Trypanosomes are of two main types- the salivarian species and the stercorarian species. The salivarian trypanosomes are known to develop in the anterior gut of insects mostly Tsetse fly and it is then introduced into the hosts through the bite of the fly before it feeds. The stercorarian trypanosome develops in the posterior gut and is then released into the feces following which it gets deposited on the skin of the host. Then they can penetrate and spread to the entire body.

Trypanosoma gambiense which is a subspecies of Trypanosoma brucei is known to cause sleeping sickness in humans. They are transmitted between the mammalian hosts by the tsetse fly and is one of the few pathogens that can cross the blood brain barrier which is why there is an urgent requirement for the development of drug against it otherwise it can lead to several side effects and the death of the human.

So the correct answer is option (A) Sleeping sickness.

Note: The initial symptoms of sleeping sickness during the first stage are headache, fever, itchiness and joint pains. These are followed by the second stage characterised by numbness, confusion, poor coordination and troubled sleeping.