Trypanosoma equiperdum.
Language
EN
Article de revue
This item was published in
Trends in parasitology. 2025-01-27
English Abstract
Trypanosoma equiperdum is the etiological agent of dourine, a disease specific to equids (horses, mules, donkeys), and is transmitted through coitus. The parasite emerged from Trypanosoma brucei through the deletion of ...Read more >
Trypanosoma equiperdum is the etiological agent of dourine, a disease specific to equids (horses, mules, donkeys), and is transmitted through coitus. The parasite emerged from Trypanosoma brucei through the deletion of parts of its kinetoplast DNA, which is essential for the transmission of T. brucei by tsetse flies and completion of its lifecycle. This phenomenon allowed a simplification of the lifecycle of T. equiperdum, which now solely exists as a replicative tissue form. Consequently, without the need of a vector which is restricted to sub-Saharan Africa, the parasite has extended its geographical distribution and is endemic in regions of Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe. However, difficulties in the diagnosis of T. equiperdum limits accurate data on its prevalence. Finally, the pathogenesis mechanisms of dourine remain largely unknown.Read less <
English Keywords
Trypanosoma equiperdum