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3.12: Trypanosomes

A Laboratory Guide to Clinical Hematology · LibreTexts

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    From LibreTexts, under CC BY-NC 4.0, as the source states it; its equations are written in TeX, which the PDF shows typeset. This page at LibreTexts.

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    https://pressbooks.library.ualberta.ca/mlsci/?p=359

    Images of peripheral blood smears showing C shaped trypanosomes (center). From MLS Collection, University of Alberta.

    Image 1: 50x oil immersion. https://doi.org/10.7939/R3QZ22Z5K

    Image 2: 100x oil immersion. https://doi.org/10.7939/R3M61C52N

    Appearance:

    Hemoflagellates that are often visualized using Giemsa stain during screening of thin and thick smears, though they are visible by regular Romanowsky staining procedures.1

    Trypomastigotes appear C or U shaped in the peripheral blood, usually seen extracellular to the red blood cells.2

    Organisms:

    The Reduviid bug (“kissing bug”) carries Trypanosoma cruzi in it’s gut where it matures. During a blood meal, the Reduviid bug releases T.cruzi via feces onto the feeding sites or mucous membranes where it can cause infection in the bloodstream.2

    Trypanosoma cruzi is the causative agent of Chagas Disease.2

    References:

    1. Rodak BF, Carr JH. Microorganisms. In: Clinical hematology atlas. 5th ed. St. Louis, Missouri: Elsevier Inc.; 2017. p. 195-202.

    2. Ahmad N, Drew WL, Lagunoff M, Pottinger P, Reller LB, Sterling CR. Sarcomastigophora-the amebas. In: Ryan KJ, Ray CG, editors. Sherris medical microbiology. 6th ed. McGraw-Hill Education; 2014. p. 823-44.

    This page titled 3.12: Trypanosomes was last modified on Fri, 11 Sep 2026 16:39:57 GMT and is shared under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Valentin Villatoro and Michelle To (Open Education Alberta) via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform.