ORGANISM 3 -- Trypanosoma cruzi
GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS
COMMON NAME: Chaga's disease or American Trypanosomiasis.
GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION: Western hemisphere (Central and South America.
PATHOGENESIS: Frequently fatal; localized, severe inflammation (chagoma;
"Romana's sign"); cardiomyopathy; mega-disease..
XENODIAGOSIS: Infective forms in reduviid bugs; check weekly for one month.
HABITAT: Circulatory, central nervous, and reticuloendothelial systems; heart muscle;
bone marrow.
INTERMEDIATE HOST: Reduviid bug; Triatoma and Panstrongylus species.
RESERVOIR HOST: Various mammals.
INFECTED FORM: Metacyclic trypomastigote.
LABORATORY IDENTIFICATION:
SPECIMEN SOURCE: Blood
Figure 1-38. Life cycle of Trypanosoma cruzi. (continued)
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