Sleeping Sickness – Causes, Symptoms and Treatments!

Sleeping Sickness – Causes, Symptoms and Treatments Everyone Should Know. Additionally, Sleeping Sickness , also called “Human African Trypanosomiasis,” is a widespread tropical disease that can be fatal if left untreated.

It is spread by the bite of an infected tsetse fly (Glossina Genus), a species native to the African continent. Sixty million people living primarily in rural areas of East, West and Central Africa are at risk of contracting Sleeping Sickness .

A tsetse fly bite erupts in a red sore and within a few weeks the person may experience fever , swollen lymph nodes , sore muscles and joints , headaches, and irritability.

In advanced stages, the disease attacks the central nervous system and people have personality changes, altered biological clock (circadian rhythm), confusion, slurred speech, seizures, and difficulty walking and talking. These problems can develop over many years and if left untreated, the person dies.

The main approaches to controlling sleeping sickness are to reduce the reservoirs of infection and the presence of the tsetse fly. Screening people at risk helps to identify patients at an early stage. Diagnosis should be made as early as possible and before the advanced stage to avoid complicated, difficult and risky treatment procedures.

Causes of Sleeping Sickness: Sleeping  Sickness is caused by two types of parasites Trypanosoma bruxei rodeiense and Trypanosoma bruxei gambiense. Tb rodean causes the most severe form of Sleeping Sickness . When an infected fly bites you, the infection spreads through your blood .

Risk factors include living in parts of Africa where Sleeping Sickness is found and being bitten by tsetse flies. Sleeping Sickness does not occur in the United States, but travelers who have visited or lived in Africa can become infected.

Symptoms of Sleeping Sickness:  General symptoms include:

• Mood swings, anxiety .
• Fever , sweating.
• Headache .
• Weakness.
• Insomnia at night.
• Drowsiness during the day (may be uncontrollable).
• Swollen lymph nodes all over the body.
• Swollen, red, painful nodule at the site of the fly bite.

Exams and Tests:  Diagnosis is often based on a physical exam and detailed information about symptoms. If the doctor suspects Sleeping Sickness , you will be asked about recent travel. Blood testswill be ordered to confirm the diagnosis. Tests include the following:

• Blood smear to check for parasites.
• Cerebrospinal fluid (spinal cord fluid) tests.
• Complete blood count (CBC).
• Lymph node aspiration.
• Treatment.

Medications used to treat this disorder include:

• Eflornithine (only for Tb gambiense).
• Melarsoprol.
• Pentamidine (only for Tb gambiense).
• Suramin (Antrypol).
• Some people may be given a combination of these drugs.

Prevention:  Pentamidine injections protect against T b gambiense but not against T b Rhodesiense. As this drug is toxic, it is not recommended to use it for prevention. T b Rhodesian is treated with suranim. Insect control measures can help prevent the spread of Sleeping Sickness in high-risk areas.