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As illustrated, metacyclic trypomastigotes (MT) in the saliva of the tsetse fly infect the bloodstream of the mammalian host as long slender (LS) forms, exhibiting a trypomastigote morphology. In addition to the LS forms, intermediate and short stumpy (SS) forms are also found in the blood. The bloodstream trypomastigote differentiates into a procyclic trypomastigote (PT) within the gut of the tsetse. After reaching the salivary glands, the procyclic trypomastigotes transform into epimastigotes (E) and attach to epithelial cells via their flagella. Metacyclic trypomastigotes (MT) in the salivary glands are transferred to the bloodstream of the mammalian host and multiply by longitudinal binary fission (LSs).

T. brucei rhodesiense lives in East Africa, and another subspecies T. b. gambiense lives in West Africa. The organisms are long and slender, 30 x 3.5 microns. Each has a nucleus (N), kinetoplast (K), undulating membrane (UM) and long flagellum (F).