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Excavate Parasites: Giardia and Trypanosomes

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Giardia lamblia, a diplomonad, and Trypanosoma species, euglenozoans, are Excavata parasites causing waterborne intestinal illness and insect-transmitted sleeping sickness.

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Trypanosoma brucei evades the immune system by repeatedly switching its surface glycoprotein coat, letting the parasite persist despite an ongoing antibody response.

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Both parasites depend on transmission through a route— Giardia through contaminated water, Trypanosoma through an insect vector— not casual contact alone.