Medical Ecology: African Trypanosomiasis
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Scan day: 13 February 2014 UTC
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Virus safety - good
Description: Chapter from a book on parasitic diseases with detailed information on the vector, the human disease and its prevention through control of tsetse flies.
Sleeping sickness, also known as Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT), is caused by Trypanosoma brucei rhodensiense in Western Africa . Both protozoan species are morphologically indistinguishable, but have drastically different epidemiological features. Several species of hematophagous glossina, commonly known as tsetse flies, are the vectors of these related diseases, and are responsible for cyclical transmission of the parasitic protozoan between numerous vertebrate hosts. Both forms of sleeping sickness affect the central nervous system. The term “sleeping sickness” is derived from the West African form of trypanosomiasis, primarily because invasion of the cerebrospinal fluid and brain after infection of the blood is often delayed, resulting in symptoms of extreme fatigue that can last for several years before the severe phase of the disease sets in; toxemia, coma and death. In contrast, the typical East African form of trypanosomiasis is characterized by rapid and acute development of the disease, and untreated patients can die within weeks or months of infection.
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| Page title: | African Trypanosomiasis |
| Keywords: | African Trypanosomiasis, Trypanosomiasis |
| Description: | African Trypanosomiasis |
| IP-address: | 74.208.118.102 |