 It is also known as human African trypanosomiasis,

African lethargy, or Congo trypanosomiasis.

 It is a parasitic disease that affects people and

animals, caused by the protozoa of the species
Trypanosoma brucei and transmitted by the tsetse fly.
 The disease is endemic in some regions of sub-
Saharan Africa, about 37 countries and 60 million
people. It is estimated that 50,000 to 70,000 people are
currently infected.

 Without treatment, the disease is invariably fatal, with

progressive mental deterioration leading to coma and
death. Damage caused in the neurological phase is
irreversible.
 African trypanosomiasis symptoms occur in two
stages:

1. The haemolymphatic phase

• is characterized by fever, headaches, joint pains, and
itching.
• In this phase is taking place an invasion of the
circulatory and lymphatic system by the parasite
which is associated with severe swelling of lymph
nodes, often to tremendous sizes.
 2. The neurological phase
• begins when the parasite invades the central
nervous system by passing through the blood-brain
barrier.
• the symptoms include confusion, reduced
coordination, disruption of the sleep cycle
and night-time insomnia.
• The neurological phase of this
disease also give the colloquial
name of 'sleeping sickness‘.
 The entire life cycle
of the tsetse fly
takes approximately
3 weeks.

 In addition to the bite of the tsetse

fly, the disease can be transmitted
in the following ways:
• From mother to unborn child : the trypanosome
can sometimes cross the placenta and infect the
fetus
• In laboratories: accidental infections, for example,
through the handling of blood of an infected
person and through organ transplantation,
although this is uncommon
• Through blood transfusion
• Through sexual contact
 The gold standard for diagnosis
is identification of trypanosomes
in a patient sample by
microscopic examination.

 Samples that can be used for

diagnosis include chancre fluid,
lymph node, blood, bone marrow
and, during the neurological stage,
cerebrospinal fluid.
 Medication used to treat this disorder is
mainly composed of antibiotics. Patients
are usually given a specific antibiotic.
However, some patients may recive
combined therapy includeing more
antibiotics.

 After successful treatment, all

patients should be followed up
for two years with lumbar
punctures every six months to
look for relapse.
 The disease is found in two forms, depending on the
parasite, either Trypanosoma brucei gambiense or
Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense.
 Humans are the main reservoir for Trypanosoma brucei
gambiense, but this species can also be found in pigs and
other animals.
 Trypanosoma brucei gambiense is found in central and
western Africa; it causes a chronic condition that can remain
in a passive phase for months or years before symptoms
emerge.
 Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense causes the acute form of
the disease, but has a much more limited geographic range.
 Four major epidemics have occurred in recent history: one
from 1896–1906 primarily in Uganda and the Congo Basin,
two epidemics in 1920 and 1970 in several African countries,
and a recent 2008 epidemic in Uganda.
 The disease has been recorded as occurring in 36 countries,
all in sub-Saharan Africa. It is endemic in south-east Uganda
and western Kenya, and killed more than 48,000 Africans in
2008.
 The causative agent and vector were identified in 1903 by
David Bruce, and the differentiation between the subspecies
of the protozoa was made in 1910.
1. “African Trypanosomiasis.” Wikipedia, the Free
Encyclopedia.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_trypanoso
miasis>.
2. “African Trypanosomiasis (sleeping Sickness).”
World Health Organization. Oct. 2010.
<http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs2
59/en/>.
3. “Sleeping Sickness.” National Library of Medicine-
National Institutes of Health. July 2010.
<http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/arti
cle/001362.htm>.