Johns Hopkins ABX Guide
Trypanosoma brucei gambiense/rhodesiense
MICROBIOLOGY
- Protozoan hemoflagellate, agent of human African sleeping sickness.
- Trypanosoma brucei complex of which two subspecies exist:
- T. b. gambiense causes West African sleeping sickness
- T. b. rhodesiense causes East African sleeping sickness
- Trypanosomes, zoonotic infection of cattle and other animals, transmitted by the painful bite of TseTse fly (Fig 1, not preventable with DEET) usually in rural African locales.
- Trypanosoma brucei gambiense (g-HAT): humans only known significant reservoir, hence efforts for eradication.
- Other modes of transmission possible: but probably rare, vertical (mother → child), sexual contact, laboratory-related, blood transfusion, organ transplantation.
- Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense (t-HAT): domesticated and wild animals may be reservoirs.
- Trypanosoma brucei gambiense (g-HAT): humans only known significant reservoir, hence efforts for eradication.
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Last updated: October 18, 2022
Citation
Auwaerter, Paul G. "Trypanosoma Brucei Gambiense/rhodesiense." Johns Hopkins ABX Guide, The Johns Hopkins University, 2022. Pediatrics Central, peds.unboundmedicine.com/pedscentral/view/Johns_Hopkins_ABX_Guide/540011/all/Trypanosoma_brucei_gambiense_rhodesiense.
Auwaerter PG. Trypanosoma brucei gambiense/rhodesiense. Johns Hopkins ABX Guide. The Johns Hopkins University; 2022. https://peds.unboundmedicine.com/pedscentral/view/Johns_Hopkins_ABX_Guide/540011/all/Trypanosoma_brucei_gambiense_rhodesiense. Accessed May 19, 2025.
Auwaerter, P. G. (2022). Trypanosoma brucei gambiense/rhodesiense. In Johns Hopkins ABX Guide. The Johns Hopkins University. https://peds.unboundmedicine.com/pedscentral/view/Johns_Hopkins_ABX_Guide/540011/all/Trypanosoma_brucei_gambiense_rhodesiense
Auwaerter PG. Trypanosoma Brucei Gambiense/rhodesiense [Internet]. In: Johns Hopkins ABX Guide. The Johns Hopkins University; 2022. [cited 2025 May 19]. Available from: https://peds.unboundmedicine.com/pedscentral/view/Johns_Hopkins_ABX_Guide/540011/all/Trypanosoma_brucei_gambiense_rhodesiense.
* Article titles in AMA citation format should be in sentence-case
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