{"type":"root","children":[{"type":"paragraph","children":[{"type":"text","value":"Trypanosoma cruzi (T. cruzi) is a protozoa that causes Chagas disease in humans, a chronic endemic illness of Central and South America, and a neglected tropical disease. Its life cycle starts in animals with triatomine bugs serving as the vector. In the triatomine bug, the parasite goes into the epimastigote stage, making it possible to reproduce. After reproducing through binary fission, the epimastigotes move onto the rectal cell wall, where they become infectious T. cruzi, called metacyclic trypomastigotes."}]}]}