Haemoflagellate

/ˌhiːmoʊˈflædʒəleɪt/ noun

Definition

A parasitic protozoan with whip-like structures that lives in blood, causing serious diseases like sleeping sickness and Chagas disease.

Etymology

From 'haemo-' (blood) + 'flagellate' (from Latin 'flagellum', whip). These parasites are named for the whip-like appendages they use to swim through blood.

Kelly Says

African sleeping sickness is caused by haemoflagellates called trypanosomes—they actually mess with your brain chemistry, making you sleep abnormally, which is horrifying and deadly.

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