African trypanosomiasis

[Hina Muqadas]

African trypanosomiasis is infection with protozoa of the species Trypanosoma brucei, transmitted by the bite of a tsetse fly. Symptoms include characteristic skin lesions, intermittent fever, headache, rigors, transient edema, generalized lymphadenopathy, and often fatal meningoencephalitis. Diagnosis is by identification of the organism in blood, lymph node aspirate, or cerebrospinal fluid or sometimes by serologic tests. Treatment is with suramin , pentamidine , melarsoprol, or eflornithine , depending on the infecting subspecies, clinical stage, and drug availability.
African trypanosomiasis is caused by Trypanosoma brucei gambiense in West and Central Africa and by T. brucei rhodesiense in East Africa; both species are endemic in Uganda. African trypanosomiasis has been targeted for eradication by the World Health Organization and as a result of control efforts, there has been a dramatic decrease (gt;95%) in the number of reported cases worldwide over the past 20 years. On average, 1 case is diagnosed in the US each year.
The organisms are transmitted by tsetse flies and can be transmitted prenatally from mother to fetus. Rarely, the infection is transmitted through blood transfusions; theoretically, it could be transmitted through organ transplantation.
Another trypanosomal species, Trypanosoma cruzi, is endemic in South and Central America and causes Chagas disease (American trypanosomiasis).