''Trypanosoma suis'' is a species of excavate trypanosome in the genus ''

Trypanosoma ''Trypanosoma'' is a genus of kinetoplastids (class Trypanosomatidae), a monophyletic group of unicellular parasitic flagellate protozoa. Trypanosoma is part of the phylum Sarcomastigophora. The name is derived from the Greek ''trypano-'' ( ...

'' that causes one form of the surra disease in animals. It infects

pig The pig (''Sus domesticus''), often called swine, hog, or domestic pig when distinguishing from other members of the genus '' Sus'', is an omnivorous, domesticated, even-toed, hoofed mammal. It is variously considered a subspecies of ''Sus ...

s. It does not infect

human Humans (''Homo sapiens'') are the most abundant and widespread species of primate, characterized by bipedalism and exceptional cognitive skills due to a large and complex brain. This has enabled the development of advanced tools, cultu ...

Discovery

''Trypanosoma suis'' was first encountered and described by Ochmann in 1905. He found the

parasite Parasitism is a close relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives on or inside another organism, the host, causing it some harm, and is adapted structurally to this way of life. The entomologist E. O. Wilson has ...

in a herd of sick

s in

Dar-es-Salaam Dar es Salaam (; from ar, دَار السَّلَام, Dâr es-Selâm, lit=Abode of Peace) or commonly known as Dar, is the largest city and financial hub of Tanzania. It is also the capital of Dar es Salaam Region. With a population of over s ...

, Tanzania. Hence the name as the word ''suis'' means pig. Eventually it was lost in consecutive renaming of the parasite until the 1950s.

Rediscovered

''T. suis'' is rarely seen and has been lost and rediscovered several times. In the 1950s ''Trypanosoma suis'' is rediscovered in Burundi by two

Belgian Belgian may refer to: * Something of, or related to, Belgium * Belgians, people from Belgium or of Belgian descent * Languages of Belgium, languages spoken in Belgium, such as Dutch, French, and German *Ancient Belgian language, an extinct languag ...

researchers. ''Trypanosomas suis'' remains the most rare member of the Salivarian trypanosomes. The only isolated specimen known of this species is kept at the Kenya Trypanosomiasis Research Institute,

Nairobi Nairobi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase ''Enkare Nairobi'', which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper h ...

. The next detection was only made by Hutchinson and Gibson 2015. Newly developed

molecular biology Molecular biology is the branch of biology that seeks to understand the molecular basis of biological activity in and between cells, including biomolecular synthesis, modification, mechanisms, and interactions. The study of chemical and physi ...

methods allowed the discovery of an uncertain ''

'' in samples from a few years prior from

Tanzania Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands ...

and the

Central African Republic The Central African Republic (CAR; ; , RCA; , or , ) is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Chad to the north, Sudan to the northeast, South Sudan to the southeast, the DR Congo to the south, the Republic of th ...

. This molecular profile was then applied to blood smear slides from 1952 and 1953, a match was found, and the rediscovery of ''T. suis'' was declared. .

Transmission

The parasite is known to be transmitted by the tsetse fly '' Glossina brevipalpis''.

References

Trypanosomatida Parasites of mammals Swine diseases Parasitic excavates {{Excavata-stub