Protozoa – African Sleeping Sickness

African Trypanosomiasisi (aka: African sleeping sickness): In West Africa: you get Tryp. Rhodesiense (carried by humans). In East Africa: you get Tryp gambiense. This disease is transmitted by blood sucking tsetse fly. After the bite, the flagellated form spreads to lymph nodes + CNS via blood (takes about 5 days).

Features: hard, red, skin ulcer at site of bite – heals in 2 weeks if not systemic. If systemic spread occurs ≫ lymphadenopathy + fevers. The fevers subside and reappear, this can occur for months. If CNS affected: drowsiness in day time (i.e.: “sleeping sickness”), slurred speech, difficulty walking. In the East African type – this can occur within 1 year. In West African type, it takes aout 3 years.

Dx: blood examination, look for characteristic parasite (trypomastigote – the flagellated form of bug).

Treatment: if CNS not involved use suramin. If CNS is involved use malarsoprol (extremely toxic).

Category: Microbiology Notes