African trypanosomiasis classification

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Aditya Ganti M.B.B.S. [2]

Overview

African trypanosomiasis can be classified based upon the pathogen and geographic location into the following types:^[1]

Disease	Pathogen	Geographic distribution	Progression	Symptoms
Disease	Pathogen	Geographic distribution	Progression	First stage	Second stage
East African sleeping sickness	Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense	East and Southeast Africa	Rapid (1-2 weeks)	A large sore (chancre) will develop at the site of the tsetse fly bite Fever Headache Myalgias Arthralgias Lymphadenopathy	Mental deterioration and other neurologic problems Death ensues usually within months
West African sleeping sickness	Trypanosoma brucei gambiense	West and Central Africa	Slow (1-2 years)	Intermittent fevers Headaches Myalgias Arthralgias Malaise Itching of the skin Lymphadenopathy Weight loss	Personality changes Daytime sleepiness with night time sleep disturbance Progressive confusion Partial paralysis or problems with balance or walking may occur Hormonal imbalances The course of untreated infection rarely lasts longer than 6-7 years and more often kills in about 3 years.

↑ Picozzi K, Fèvre EM, Odiit M, Carrington M, Eisler MC, Maudlin I, Welburn SC (2005). “Sleeping sickness in Uganda: a thin line between two fatal diseases”. BMJ. 331 (7527): 1238–41. doi:10.1136/bmj.331.7527.1238. PMC 1289320. PMID 16308383.