Keywords:
Protozoal diseases
Nagana
Sleeping sickness
Trypanosoma brucei gambiense
Trypanosoma brucei brucei
Trypanosoma vivax
Trypanosoma congolense
Vectors
Tsetse flies
Glossina morsitans
Cattle
Development
Life cycles
Epimastigote
Trypomastigote
Staging
Africa, General
Abstract:
African trypanosomes are unicellular flagellated parasites causing trypanosomiases in Africa, a group of severe diseases also known as sleeping sickness in human and nagana in cattle. These parasites are almost exclusively transmitted by the bite of the tsetse fly. In this review, we describe and compare the three developmental programs of the main trypanosome species impacting human and animal health, with focus on the most recent observations. From here, some reflections are made on research issues concerning trypanosome developmental biology in the tsetse fly that are to be addressed in the future.