| African sleeping sickness is also known as Human | | | | treatment the disease is fatal. |
| African trypanosomiasis. However, African sleeping | | | | Diagnosis: |
| sickness is easier to pronounce and aptly describes | | | | Serological tests are performed and also clinical |
| the disease. The protozoan parasite that causes the | | | | checks for signs of the disease such as swollen |
| disease is spread by the tsetse fly. These flies live in | | | | cervical glands. Tests look for evidence of the |
| Africa and are found in rivers, lakes and wooded | | | | parasite. The cerebro-spinal fluid is checked by way of |
| forests along the savannah. | | | | a lumbar puncture to determine the state of disease |
| 60 million individuals, including children, are at risk for the | | | | progression. The earlier the diagnosis is made the less |
| disease in 36 sub-Saharan Africa. Every year nearly | | | | risk is involved in treatment. If the central nervous |
| 500,000 people develop the disease. | | | | system is involved treatment is complicated and risky. |
| Infection can be spread not only by the flies but | | | | Treatment: |
| through the placenta from an infected mom-to-be into | | | | There is a different treatment for each stage of the |
| the baby. It can also be spread by contaminated | | | | disease. The earlier the diagnosis is made the better |
| needles. | | | | the prognosis. Drugs for the second stage of the |
| Another human form of the disease occurs in the | | | | disease need to be able to cross over the blood-brain |
| Americas and is called Chagas disease. | | | | barrier and are quite toxic and expensive leaving it |
| Symptoms for African sleeping sickness include bouts | | | | impossible for most in the impoverished countries to be |
| of fever, headache, joint pains and itching. When the | | | | treated without help from organizations. |
| parasites cross the blood-brain barrier than the central | | | | WHO (World Health Organization) private partnership |
| nervous system is involved and symptoms of | | | | provides four drugs for sleeping sickness free of |
| confusion, sensory disruption and poor coordination can | | | | charge to endemic countries. |
| be seen. If the individual is not treated the disease is | | | | A drug melarsoprol is used in the second phase of the |
| fatal. | | | | disease and is derived from arsenic. |
| Cure rates are high if the patient receives treatment in | | | | Unfortunately, the disease is becoming more drug |
| the first phase of the disease before the central | | | | resistant as time goes on and researchers are trying |
| nervous system involvement. | | | | to find new drugs. For now, remote areas of |
| The major symptoms of the disease do not appear | | | | populations, and the need for more medical facilities |
| until the second phase until then the disease behaves | | | | and availability of drugs limit the therapeutic success. |
| much like others. During the second phase the | | | | More funding is needed for research into new drugs to |
| symptoms are confusion, poor coordination, sensory | | | | counteract the drug resistance now being witnessed. |
| disturbances, sleep cycle disturbances and without | | | | |