Trypanosoma cruzi (Chagas disease)
General: Endemic to South and Central America where it affects ~20 million people.
Clinical: Commonly involves the heart and is a significant cause of heart failure in endemic areas. Amastigote collections may form a pseudocyst, which eventually ruptures, releasing amastigotes which mature into trypomastigotes. In the heart there is myocyte destruction and disturbance of the conduction system and parasympathetic cardiac nerves, possibly giving rise to dysrhythmias.
- Normal:
- Abnormal:
Resistance:
Morphology: Hemoflagellate. In peripheral blood smears, trypomastigotes appear "C" shaped and have an undulating membrane. Amastigotes are 2-4 microns and have a distinct kinetoplast.
Growth characteristics: Transmitted to humans through the feces of the Reduviid "kissing bug."
Common/important pathogens:
(Lefkowitch: AP Board Review)
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