Trypanosoma equiperdum

Τrypanosoma equiperdum is a protozoan parasite that causes Dourine or covering sickness in horses and other animals in the family equidae. Genetic analyses have revealed T. equiperdum to be a derivative of Trypanosoma brucei, the causative agent of African trypanosomiasis.^[1] Unlike T. brucei, T. equiperdum is spread primarily via sexual transmission, an adaptation that has allowed it to escape beyond the range of the tsetse fly and attain a cosmopolitan distribution. Mother-foal transmission has also been documented. Τhe donkey shows no symptoms but is a carrier of this parasite. Can be found in genital organs and secretions.

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