CHAPTER XLVl 



SOUTH AMERICAN TRYPANOSOMIASIS 



Synonyms — -Definition — History — etiology— Pathology — Symptomatology — 

 Diagnosis — -Treatment— Prophylaxis — References, 



Synonyms. — Oppila9a,o; Canguary (both indicate ankylostomiasis); Schizso- 

 trypanose or Douenca de Carlos Chagas, Coreotrypanosis {coris=hug) ; Molestia 

 de Carlos Chagas, Tripanozomiase braziliera, Tireoidite parasitaria, Molestia 

 do barbeiro (popular name), Molestia de Cruz e Chagas. 



Definition. — South American trypanosomiasis is an acute or 

 chronic specific disease caused by Schizotrypanum cruzi Chagas, 

 1909, and spread by the bug Lamtis megistus (Triatoma megista) 

 Burmeister, and perhaps other alhed bugs. 



History. — In February, 1909, Chagas reported that he had fre- 

 quently found a new trypanosome, which he named T. cruzi, in the 

 intestine of a species of Lamus, which occurred in the State of 

 Minas in Brazil. He also reported that he was able to infect 

 marmosets, dogs, cats, guinea-pigs, and rabbits by the bites of the 

 infected insects, and also to grow the parasite on blood agar. 



In May, 1909, he announced that he had made an investigation 

 of the mines of the State of Minas, and found the Lamus in large 

 numbers in the houses of the poorer inhabitants. He noticed that 

 the bite was painful, and that the insect was very voracious, and 

 also that it generally attacked people, especially children, at night, 

 biting the face, from which fact the inhabitants called it ' barbeiro ' 

 or ' barber.' 



He suspected this Lamus of causing a disease marked by extreme 

 anaemia, which occurred especially among the children, and he 

 was able to find in the blood of a two-year-old child during an 

 attack of fever a trypanosome identical with 5. cruzi, morpho- 

 logically and biologically. Since then Chagas has not merely 

 worked out the life-history of the trypanosome in man and in 

 the Lamus, but he has also studied carefully the clinical and 

 pathological aspects of the disease, while Vianna has reported 

 upon the histopathology, Dias on the blood, and Guerreiro on the 

 urine. 



Chagas has also shown that in all probability the armadillo 

 commonly called 'tatu,' and scientifically Dasypus novemcinctus , 

 or less correctly Tatusia novemcincta, may be the reservoir for 

 Trypanosoma cruzi, and that Triatoma geniculata (synonym, Cowor- 



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