Trypanosoma

Trypanosoma is a genus of kinetoplastid, unicellular parasitic flagellate protozoa in the phylum Euglenozoa, named from Ancient Greek words meaning borer and body, a reference to their corkscrew-like movement. These parasites are heteroxenous, requiring multiple hosts to complete their life cycle, and are mainly transmitted through blood-feeding invertebrates, though one species spreads through sexual contact between horses. Trypanosomes cause serious human diseases, including sleeping sickness, caused by Trypanosoma brucei, and Chagas disease, caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, both of which can be fatal if untreated.