African
African Sleeping Sickness
African Sleeping Sickness (pronounced: /ˈæfrɪkən ˈsliːpɪŋ ˈsɪknɪs/), also known as Trypanosomiasis or Sleeping Sickness, is a vector-borne parasitic disease. It is caused by infection with protozoan parasites belonging to the genus Trypanosoma. They are transmitted to humans by tsetse fly (Glossina genus) bites which have acquired their infection from human beings or from animals harboring human pathogenic parasites.
Etymology
The term "African Sleeping Sickness" is derived from the symptomatic behavior of those infected with the disease, who often exhibit a disrupted sleep cycle. The term "Trypanosomiasis" comes from the Greek words "trypano" (borer) and "soma" (body), referring to the parasitic nature of the disease.
Symptoms
The disease is characterized by two stages. The first, or hemolymphatic phase, entails bouts of fever, headaches, joint pains and itching. The second, or neurological phase, begins when the parasite invades the central nervous system by passing through the blood-brain barrier. The symptoms include confusion, reduced coordination, and disruption of the sleep cycle, with bouts of fatigue punctuated with manic periods leading to the colloquial name "sleeping sickness".
Treatment
Treatment involves the administration of antiparasitic drugs, with the specific drug or combination of drugs used depending on the type of trypanosome causing the infection and the stage of the disease.
See Also
References
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on African
- Wikipedia's article - African
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