Which of the following the causal pathogen for "African sleeping sickness":-

Correct option is C

The correct answer is: (c) Trypanosoma

African sleeping sickness, also known as African Trypanosomiasis, is caused by a protozoan parasite belonging to the genus Trypanosoma. The specific species responsible are Trypanosoma brucei gambiense (causes the chronic form) and Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense (causes the acute form).

The disease is transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected tsetse fly (genus Glossina), which acts as the vector.

Life Cycle of Trypanosoma:

1. The tsetse fly bites an infected person or animal, ingesting the parasite.
2. Inside the fly, the parasite undergoes developmental changes.
3. When the infected fly bites another person, it injects the parasite into their bloodstream.
4. The parasite multiplies in the blood, lymph, and cerebrospinal fluid, causing disease symptoms.

Symptoms of African Sleeping Sickness:

• Early Stage: Fever, headaches, joint pain, and swollen lymph nodes.
• Late Stage: Neurological symptoms, including confusion, disrupted sleep cycle (hence the name "sleeping sickness"), and eventual coma if untreated.

Prevention and Control:

• Avoiding tsetse fly-infested areas.
• Use of insect repellents and protective clothing.
• Control of tsetse fly populations.
• Early diagnosis and treatment with anti-parasitic drugs.

Additional Information:

• Amoeba: Includes species like Entamoeba histolytica, which causes amoebiasis, not African sleeping sickness.
• Plasmodium: Causes malaria, transmitted by female Anopheles mosquitoes.
• Paramecium: A free-living ciliate protozoan, not pathogenic to humans.