Trypanosomes and African Sleeping Sickness

<p>1,000 (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Restricted to areas with high density of tsetse flies (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Nagana (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Proximity to areas with high tsetse fly populations (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The parasite is constantly evolving and changing its surface antigens, making a vaccine difficult to formulate. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Treatments can be toxic and have significant side effects. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Reduction in agricultural productivity and livestock production. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>All of the above (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>To protect the parasite from the host immune system (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>By changing its surface antigen (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The trypanosome's VSG undergoes constant change, making it difficult to develop a stable vaccine target (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>They reflect the parasite's ability to evade the host immune system (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>By constantly changing their surface antigens (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Formation of protective cysts (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>It facilitates the removal of antibodies that bind to VSG. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>By recombining sub-telomeric VSGs with the expression site VSG (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Because it is the only form that can reproduce (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The disease primarily impacts rural populations dependent on agriculture, fishing, and animal husbandry, thus disrupting economic activity. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The switching of VSG allows the trypanosome to evade the host's immune system, leading to periodic increases in parasite numbers. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The trypanosome's ability to change its VSG protein quickly makes it difficult to target a specific antigen for a vaccine. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The trypanosome's ability to switch its Variant Surface Glycoprotein (VSG) allows it to evade the host's immune system by constantly changing its surface antigens. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The rapid switching of VSG makes it challenging to develop drugs that can target the VSG effectively, as the parasite will constantly evade them. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Trypanosomes rapidly change the VSG they express, presenting a constantly shifting target. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>It facilitates the removal of antibodies bound to the VSG, preventing the formation of antibody-mediated immune complexes on the parasite surface. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Mosaic formation allows trypanosomes to create entirely new VSG genes by combining DNA segments from different VSG genes. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Slender forms are responsible for transmission to the tsetse fly, while stumpy forms are adapted for survival in the mammalian host. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Waves of parasitemia are the result of the parasite's response to the host's immune system, with each wave representing a new antigenic variant escaping immune pressure. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The ability of trypanosomes to rapidly change the VSG they express poses a major challenge for the development of vaccines targeting a single protein. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>VSG acts as a physical barrier that shields other trypanosome surface proteins from antibody recognition. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Trypanosomes are able to evade the host's immune system by changing the VSG they express, constantly staying one step ahead of the immune response. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

A protein that shields trypanosomes from the immune system by masking other proteins.

Process by which trypanosomes change their VSGs to evade immune detection.

New VSGs created by recombining sub-telomeric VSGs with expression site VSGs.

Transition of trypanosomes from a proliferative form to a non-proliferative form.

The presence of parasites in the blood, often shows waves in chronic infections.

The process by which the immune system eliminates detected pathogens.

Mechanism by which antibodies bound to VSG are removed from the bloodstream.

The process of changing the specific VSG being expressed by the trypanosome.

Difficulty in creating vaccines due to constant antigenic variation and VSG changes.

A neglected tropical disease caused by trypanosomes, transmitted by tsetse flies.

A unicellular parasite that causes African sleeping sickness in humans and animals.

The insect vector responsible for transmitting Trypanosoma brucei.

The study of how diseases spread and can be controlled.

Steps taken to reduce the spread of diseases like sleeping sickness.

The disease caused by Trypanosoma brucei in animals, leading to economic loss.

The region where African sleeping sickness is most prevalent.

The document that discusses the economic impact of sleeping sickness in Africa.

Groups most affected by African sleeping sickness, often dependent on agriculture.

A disease that can lead to death if untreated, like sleeping sickness.

Trypanosomes are transmitted to humans and animals by tsetse flies.

African sleeping sickness causes about 1,000 cases per year with high fatality if untreated.

Nagana, caused by Trypanosoma brucei in animals, leads to $4.5 billion loss annually in Africa.

Major concentrations of African sleeping sickness are found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Control measures are necessary to manage the spread of African sleeping sickness in rural areas.

The potential for trypanosomes to produce a vast array of VSGs through antigenic variation.

The process where sub-telomeric VSGs combine with expression site VSGs to create new mosaics.

The observed cycles of parasite density in the blood during chronic infection.

The rapid growth phase of trypanosomes before differentiation to stumpy form.

A non-proliferative form of trypanosomes that differs from the slender form.

Hydrodynamic-flow mediated endocytosis clears antibodies binding to VSGs.

The difficulty in creating effective vaccines due to the rapid change of VSGs in trypanosomes.