The causative agent of sleeping sickness. Symptoms and treatment of sleeping sickness

  • The tissues of the heart muscle.
  • spinal cord.
  • Lymph nodes.
  • Internal organs.

Further, the bacterium actively multiplies by dividing, which leads to intoxication and damage to body tissues. For nutrition, individuals use blood cells, serous fluid and brain tissue. While in the body of the final host, the trypanosome develops the ability to mutate, which allows it to resist the immune system of a person or animal.

Risk factors

The habitat of the tsetse fly is the African continent. The rural population is most at risk. According to official statistics, the number of cases annually reaches 40 thousand people. The real numbers are much higher. The geography of infection may expand under the influence of the following factors:

  1. Voluntary or forced migration of the population.
  2. Non-compliance with preventive measures by health organizations, during which the population of insects, the main carriers of the disease, is controlled.
  3. Movement of cattle.

Varieties of the disease

African trypanosomiasis is divided into two clinical forms: Rhodesian And Gambian. The second option is the most common. They affect about 97% of those infected. The disease can be asymptomatic, causing serious damage to organs and systems.

The Rhodesian form, on the contrary, is characterized by rapid development; in patients, the central nervous system suffers.

Symptoms of trypanosomiasis in humans

  • Pain in the joints.
  • Rash on the skin.
  • Bad feeling.
  • Chills.
  • Elevated temperature.
  • Enlarged lymph nodes, especially in the neck.

With the Rhodesian clinical form, this stage can quickly move into the next phase of the disease, and with the Gambian form of the pathogen, it can last up to several years.

In the absence of effective therapy, the disease develops into the meningoencephalitic stage. Trypanosomes affect the central nervous system. From this point on, neurological symptoms predominate:

  • Migraine.
  • Mental disorders (apathy, indifference to what is happening);
  • Seizures.
  • epileptic seizures.
  • Unsteady gait.
  • Paralysis of arms and legs.
  • Hyperesthesia - increased nervous irritability.
  • Constant drowsiness, at a later stage the patient may fall into a coma.

From the acute phase, the disease can quickly move into chronic stage. Signs become mild, but the process of destruction of organs continues. Lethargic sleep can become a complication of the disease, for this reason this disease is called sleeping sickness.

In the absence of treatment, there death.

Diagnosis of the disease

In addition to determining the phase of the disease by the symptoms, the patient is sent for testing, the spinal cord fluid is examined, the lymph node is punctured, and the presence of antibodies to trypanosome is detected by serological testing.

Based on the diagnostic results, specialists choose the most effective treatment method.

Treatment

To combat the causative agents of sleeping sickness, the following means are used:

  • Melarsoprol- effective in any clinical form of infection, is prescribed for the meningoencephalitic stage.
  • Nifurtimox And eflornithine- can be taken simultaneously, which allows you to reduce the dosage and, therefore, make adverse reactions less pronounced;
  • Eflornithine separately used in the Gambian clinical form, in case of damage to the disease of the nervous system.
  • Suramin fights Rhodesian trypanosoma when the disease is in the hemolymphatic stage;
  • pentamidine used in the Gambian form at the initial stage of infection.

Drugs used in the treatment of the last stage of sleeping sickness have a fairly high toxicity. But only they are able to overcome the blood-brain barrier and destroy the pathogen that poses a threat to life.

Trypanosomiasis in animals

Donkeys, horses, mules, and camels are most susceptible to infection. About a month of pronounced symptoms are not observed. The following symptoms may then appear:

  • Elevated temperature.
  • Lachrymation.
  • Weight loss.
  • Depressed state, lethargy.
  • Body edema.
  • Paresis of limbs.

To confirm the diagnosis, a laboratory study of feces, blood, smears from the genital organs of sick animals is performed. Trypanocidal drugs are used for treatment: anthicide, berenil, naganin, samorin. If relapses occur or there is no improvement, the drug is replaced. If the animal is greatly weakened and the disease has passed into the last stage, therapy may not be effective. In this case, slaughter and subsequent destruction of carcasses is recommended to prevent the spread of infection.

Prevention of sleeping sickness

  1. Use of insect repellants.
  2. Wear protective clothing that covers all areas of the body.
  3. If it is necessary to visit hazardous areas, the introduction of an injection of Pentamidine. But it is important to note that the immunoprophylaxis of trypanosomiasis is under development and there is no full guarantee of its effectiveness.
  4. If possible, it is recommended to refuse to visit endemic areas.

Since ancient times, insects have been carriers of infection. Medicine has managed to defeat many dangerous diseases. However, some infections are still difficult to treat and are fraught with complications. These include African trypanosomiasis or sleeping sickness. The infection is predominantly distributed in Africa, so tourists planning a trip to hot countries need to obtain information about what sleeping sickness is and how to treat it.

Description of the disease

The tsetse fly is a carrier of sleeping sickness

Sleeping sickness (African trypanosom) is a transmissible disease that is characterized by a pronounced ulcer on the human body. The disease is considered life-threatening, as it is accompanied by fever, as a result of which lymphocytosis and pathology of the central nervous system develop. In advanced stages - tachycardia, inflammation of the joints and mental disorders.

Carriers of sleeping sickness are animals and people. The carriers are tsetse flies.

Trypanosomiasis is one of the most common infections on the African continent. In the 36 tsetse-dominated countries, the disease is considered an epidemic for which there is no vaccine. More than 10,000 cases of sleeping sickness are reported in Africa every year. Rural residents south of the Sahara are most susceptible to the disease.

The epidemic peaked in 1896-1906, 1920 and 1970. At that time, more than 2 million people were infected. People died, and the doctors shrugged, unable to explain the inability to cope with the fever. Today, trypanosomiasis has been studied and successfully treated, however, if a visit to the doctor is not timely, complications are possible.

Not all tsetse flies transmit sleeping sickness, but only certain types of it.

stages

Sleeping sickness is divided into stages. The first is Gambian. Most often, this disease occurs in countries of West and Central Africa. The pathogen, Trypanosoma gambiense, causes fever, headache, joint inflammation, insomnia, itching, and increased sweating. Symptoms may not appear immediately, but only 3 weeks or several years after the insect bite. At the primary stage, the disease can be treated without much difficulty, but it is necessary to consult a doctor in a timely manner.

Without treatment, the patient may fall into a coma and die 2 months after infection. In some cases, death may occur earlier.

Each stage of sleeping sickness is diagnosed based on the results of a blood and bone marrow test. Research is carried out in specialized clinics.

Forms

Forms of sleeping sickness can occur in different ways, depending on the person's immunity. In poor health, symptoms appear after 2-3 weeks. With increased immunity, the incubation period lasts up to 2 years.

At 1 month of illness, the body begins to actively produce immunoglobulins, which allows you to slow down the development of the process only for a short time (1-2 weeks). After trypanosome penetration into the CNS, meningoencephalitic form of the disease with pronounced symptoms: drowsiness, loss of coordination, severe muscle pain, etc.

Causes

For one insect bite, more than 400 thousand microorganisms enter the body, while the minimum dosage for the development of pathology is 300 thousand trypanosomes.

Symptoms

Immediately after an insect bite, the disease may not manifest itself in any way. Depending on immunity, the infected person may experience mild malaise and weakness. The clinical picture is also complicated by the constant mutation of cells, and therefore it is almost impossible to detect African trypanosom without testing.

Signs of sleeping sickness:

  • a hard lump at the site of the bite that itches and does not subside for more than 3 weeks. After this time, the swelling subsides. There may be a slight scar in diameter up to 1 cm;
  • inflamed lymph nodes, most often posterior cervical;
  • partial loss of vision and coordination;
  • increased fatigue;
  • insomnia at night;
  • fever;
  • a throbbing headache that only goes away after taking strong analgesics;
  • vomit;
  • distraction;
  • arrhythmia;
  • swelling of the whole body;
  • apathy;
  • pain in the joints.

These symptoms increase as sleeping sickness progresses. To outsiders, the symptoms of infection become more obvious: the feeling that a person has fallen into a stupor, his eyes are half-closed, his lip hangs down, a characteristic facial expression. Movements become uncontrollable.

In the last stages of the disease, epilepsy, paralysis and other signs of CNS dysfunction appear.

Sleeping sickness diagnosis

To establish the correct diagnosis, the patient's complaints, the clinic of the disease are analyzed, it turns out whether there were trips abroad.

The main diagnostic method is the study:

  • venous blood;
  • Lymph fluid;
  • cerebrospinal fluid.

If trypanosomes are detected, the diagnosis is considered confirmed.

In order to determine the disease at an early stage of infection with trypanos, a puncture of the affected area of ​​​​the skin and lymph nodes is prescribed.

Treatment Methods

Previously, without the use of drugs, trypanosomiasis was considered incurable. An infected person could only alleviate the symptoms of the disease, after which he fell into a coma and died. In 1941, the African trypanosome epidemic subsided, and reappeared in 1993. So, in the 20th century, the disease, its symptoms, and treatment methods were first studied.

To date, the most effective treatment for sleeping sickness is medication. Modern drugs help to cure trypanosomiasis at any stage, but a successful result will depend on the timeliness of contacting a doctor.

Mandatory drugs

With the diagnosis of "sleeping sickness", broad-spectrum medications are prescribed, such as:

  • Pentamidine. Treats the early symptoms of the Gambian form of the disease;
  • Suramin. Effective in the initial stages of Rhodesian trypanosomiasis;
  • Melarsoprol. Indicated in the second stage of trypanosomiasis I and II;
  • Eflornithine. Discharged for Gambian sleeping sickness.

The big disadvantage of these drugs is high toxicity. Drugs can cause organ pathology, so treatment is carried out in a hospital under the strict supervision of a doctor.

Complementary Therapy

Sleeping sickness is difficult to treat. However, the danger of infection lies in the fact that it affects healthy cells and human organs. At any stage, the consequences are practically inevitable, therefore, during treatment, patients are prescribed additional therapies: detoxification, hyposensitizing and symptomatic.

Detoxification therapy

Since the treatment of trypanosomiasis with drugs is toxic to the body, doctors prescribe sorption to patients. Harmful substances are excreted from the body in three ways:

  • With the use of internal human resources - intracorporeal detoxification therapy (ID). The patient is prescribed antidotes that contribute to the normalization of metabolism - robots of the kidneys, liver, lungs and intestines ;
  • Washing the gastrointestinal tract;
  • Purification of blood by hardware - extracorporeal detoxification therapy (ED). Plasmapheresis, hemosorption or dialysis are prescribed.

Hyposensitizing therapy

Sleeping sickness often develops against an allergic background, which exacerbates the inflammatory process. The body develops sensitivity to microbes and ceases to fight them. In this case, the patient is prescribed hyposensitization therapy, which contributes to the suppression of the developing disease.

Calcium gluconate tablets are prescribed. You need to drink 3 times a day for a month. Taking tablets is also combined with a 10% solution of calcium chloride - 1 tbsp 3 times a day and a 10% solution of sodium thiosulfate - 1 tbsp 2 times a day.

Symptomatic therapy

Symptomatic therapy of sleeping sickness is aimed at suppressing comorbidities such as fever, joint disease, loss of coordination, and general weakness.

Depending on the stage of trypanosomiasis, patients are prescribed analgesics, antiseptics, sedatives, immunomodulins and vitamins. For fever, antipyretics are prescribed. Most often, the drugs are administered intravenously.

Prevention

Prevention of sleeping sickness is one of the main methods of combating the virus that the tsetse fly carries.

Residents of southern African countries, who are most susceptible to the disease, take petametidine tablets or inject intravenously. In addition, wear thick clothing.

Repellents (aerosols to protect against infection) are also effective as they repel insects. However, the effect of the drug lasts only a few hours.

Sleeping sickness is one of the most dangerous diseases that have not yet been studied. A vaccine against the disease has not been developed, so tourists planning a trip to hot countries need to be aware of the danger and take precautions.

The materials posted on this page are for informational purposes and are intended for educational purposes. Site visitors should not use them as medical advice. Determining the diagnosis and choosing a treatment method remains the exclusive prerogative of your doctor! The company is not responsible for possible negative consequences resulting from the use of information posted on the site.

Trypanosomiasis is caused by blood-sucking insects. One of the types of this protozoosis - African trypanosomiasis, or sleeping sickness - is common on the African continent. Pathology is carried by a blood-sucking insect, the tsetse fly, and some animals. Symptoms vary greatly from trypanosomal chancre to coma. Diagnostics includes the study of biomaterial (blood, lymph nodes, cerebrospinal fluid, etc.). A complete cure for sleeping sickness is possible in the initial stages with the use of medications.

Surprisingly, for most regions in which this insect lives, infection with sleeping sickness is not typical.

Nevertheless The risk group includes the population whose occupation is associated with:

  • animal husbandry;
  • hunting;
  • agriculture;
  • fishing.

Factors that increase the risk of infection with African trypanosomiasis include:

  • migration of the population and animals infected with this disease;
  • social events, such as civil wars, rallies;
  • disregard for safety rules;
  • non-compliance with special programs and preventive measures aimed at eliminating the vectors of trypanosomiasis.

Sleeping sickness can affect from one settlement to an entire region. If we take a separately infested area, then the intensity of infection can fluctuate between settlements.

Diagnosis and treatment are difficult due to the long incubation period and the course of the disease. In addition, the symptoms of trypanosomiasis are very diverse and depend on individual characteristics and the body's immune system.

2 types of sleeping sickness pathogens

Science knows 2 types of pathogens that cause sleeping sickness:

The African trypanosoma includes the two species described earlier (T. b. gambiense and rhodesiense). Their body is spindle-shaped, has a flattened and oblong shape. Tsetse flies carry sleeping sickness pathogens through saliva when biting into the skin of the victim.

Situation today

African trypanosomiasis is a major problem in tropical regions. Below are prevalence rates of pathology:

  • DRC is the leader in incidence. Only in the last decade, 70% of cases of the disease fall on the inhabitants of the DRC. In 2015, 84% of cases of pathology were recorded, and every year more than 1000 people become infected with African trypanosomiasis.
  • In 2015, the only state in which only 100-200 cases of the disease were registered was the Central African Republic.
  • The incidence is less than 100 patients in the following countries: Ghana, Guinea, Gabon, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Chad and some others.
  • In general, 70 million people in 36 African countries are at risk of contracting sleep pathology.
  • Over the past 10 years, no new cases of pathology have been reported in Benin, Botswana, Mali, Namibia, Mali, Gambia, Niger, Swaziland and Sierra Leone.
  • Despite the positive trend in some regions of the mainland, the assessment of the real situation is difficult due to the unstable social events in certain countries and the inconsistent work of epidemiological surveillance.

In the XIX-XX centuries. the largest outbreaks of infection were recorded in the Congo Basin and Uganda (1896-1906), as well as in certain countries in 1920 and 1970. Today, African trypanosomiasis is classified as a neglected tropical disease.

Trypanosomiasis in animals

In addition to tsetse flies, mechanical transmission of trypanos by stinger flies and horseflies is popular. Gambian fever () is most often recorded in camels, mules, horses, cats, dogs and pigs. When infected with trypanosomes, the animal quickly loses weight, becomes drowsy and lethargic. In the end, it dies due to exhaustion.

Sleeping sickness symptoms

The disease is often transmitted by tsetse fly bites, but other options are possible:

At the initial (hematolymphatic) stage, the pathology lasts about one year (sometimes from a couple of months to 5 years). The first symptoms of sleeping sickness are:

  • Trypanosomal chancre 1-2 cm in size, the appearance of which resembles a boil. Often such nodes appear on the arms, legs and head.
  • After 2-3 weeks, a pigmented scar forms instead of a chancre.
  • The appearance of pink and purple spots with a diameter (5-7 cm in diameter).
  • Swelling of the face, feet and hands develops.

The next phase (hemolymphatic) is accompanied by the release of trypanosomes into the bloodstream. This phenomenon is characterized by fever. Clinical picture of this stage:

  • Hyperthermia (38.5-40°C), alternating with apyrexic periods.
  • Inflammation of regional lymph nodes, as well as a symptom of Winterbottom. In this case, they are compacted and reach the size of a pigeon egg.
  • Increasing weakness, abnormal heart rhythm, arthralgia, weight loss, skin rash, enlargement of the liver and spleen.
  • Urticarial rash on the skin (develops in 30% of cases).
  • Damage to the visual system (swelling of the eyelids, keratitis, hemorrhage in the iris, scars and opacities on the cornea).

The duration of the course of the second stage of the disease is influenced by the individual characteristics of the person. With ineffective treatment and inaction, sooner or later the terminal (meningoencephalitic) stage occurs. Its development is associated with the penetration of protozoa into the brain. It is characterized by such symptoms of meningoencephalitis (inflammation of the gray and white matter of the brain) and leptomeningitis (inflammation of the arachnoid and soft membranes of the brain):

  • daytime sleepiness;
  • dysmotility (ataxic gait);
  • tremor of the limbs and tongue;
  • slurred speech;
  • headache;
  • indifference to surrounding people and events;
  • convulsions and paralysis;
  • lethargy;
  • mental disorder (depression, manic state);
  • epileptic status;
  • coma development.

Unlike the Gambian, the Rhodesian form has an even more severe course and clinical picture. It is characterized by exhaustion, arrhythmia and myocarditis. Some patients die in the first year of trypanosome infection. Among the causes of fatal outcome are pneumonia, malaria, dysentery, etc.

Diagnostics

The study of pathology is a complex process.<Diagnosis of sleeping sickness includes three stages:

If the Gambian form is suspected, trypanosomiasis should be distinguished from toxoplasmosis, tuberculosis, encephalitis and lymphogranulomatosis. If you suspect the Rhodesian form - with the same diseases, septicemia and typhoid fever.

How is African trypanosomiasis treated?

Depending on what the classification of trypanosomes is, treatment can vary significantly. The success of therapy depends on the correct diagnosis.

It should be noted that drugs for sleeping sickness are highly toxic, and their use is quite long. Therefore, self-medication is by no means impossible.

At the first stage of the pathology, the doctor prescribes the following medications:

  • Pentamidine (used for b. gambiense);
  • Melarsoprol (used for two types of trypanosomes);
  • Suramin (for the treatment of T.b. rhodesiense);
  • Nifurtimox (at).

They also carry out detoxification, hyposensitizing and symptomatic therapy.

WHO provides some medicines free of charge in endemic regions. Without acceptable therapy, mortality is 100%. If timely specific treatment is prescribed, then an absolute recovery from African trypanosomiasis is possible. However, the prognosis is influenced by such factors as the timing of the start of treatment and the form of pathology. When infected with T. b. The Rhodesiense prognosis is much sadder.

Clinical picture

Chief Physician of the Moscow City Hospital No. 62. Anatoly Nakhimovich Makhson
Medical practice: more than 40 years.

Unfortunately, in Russia and the CIS countries, pharmacy corporations sell expensive drugs that only relieve symptoms, thereby putting people on one drug or another. That is why in these countries there is such a high percentage of infections and so many people suffer from "non-working" drugs.

Prevention

Last but not least is the prevention of sleeping sickness. It consists of the following activities:

  • improvement of foci with high morbidity;
  • control of trypanosomes and their vectors;
  • systematic diagnosis of people at risk (at least 1 time in 2 years);
  • public and individual prevention.

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Sleeping sickness is common in sub-Saharan Africa. These areas are inhabited by blood-sucking tsetse flies, which are carriers of this disease. There are two types of causative agents of this disease that affects people. These are unicellular organisms belonging to the genus Trypanosomes:

  • Trupanosoma gambiense - pathogens of the Gambian (West African) form of the disease, common in West and Central Africa near water bodies;
  • Trypanosoma rhodesiense is the causative agent of the Rhodesian (East African) form of the disease, common in East Africa, in the savannas.

Both pathogens are transmitted through the bites of infected tsetse flies. They attack a person in the daytime, while no clothing protects against these insects.

The manifestations of the two forms of the disease are similar, but the East African form in most cases is more acute and, if untreated, can be fatal after a short time. The East African form is characterized by slow progression and can last several years without treatment.

There are two stages of sleeping sickness, which have certain manifestations:

1. The first stage, when trypanosomes are still in the blood (1-3 weeks after infection):

  • the appearance of a painful nodule at the site of the bite (as a rule, in non-indigenous residents);
  • fever;
  • increased sweating;
  • muscle tremors;
  • headache;
  • joint pain;

1. The second stage, when trypanosomes enter the central nervous system (after a few weeks or months):

  • intense headache;
  • fever;
  • apathy;
  • general weakness;
  • constant sleepiness;
  • movement disorders;
  • coma.

Sleeping sickness treatment

Before the invention of drugs for sleeping sickness, this pathology inevitably led to death. To date, the prospects for treatment are better, the earlier the disease is diagnosed. Therapy is determined by the form of the disease, the severity of the lesion, the resistance of the pathogen to drugs, the age and general condition of the patient. To date, there are four main drugs for the treatment of sleeping sickness:

These drugs are highly toxic, and therefore cause serious side effects and complications. In this regard, the treatment of sleeping sickness should be carried out only by qualified specialists in specialized clinics.

Sleeping sickness prevention measures:

  1. Refusal to visit places where there is a high risk of being bitten by tsetse flies.
  2. Use of protective repellents.
  3. The introduction of Pentamidine intramuscularly every six months.

The main danger of African sleeping sickness for human health is the massive damage to vital organs and systems. These include: the speech apparatus, lymph nodes, thyroid gland, central and nervous systems.

The body's response to changes in blood cells is the active release of antibodies and immunoglobulins by the immune system, which allows for a short time to contain the massive spread of the disease. But, if no measures were taken during this time, the infection destroys weak immunity and actively progresses.

The development of African trypanosomiasis in adults and children

The causative agent of African trypanosomiasis

The disease is transmitted by blood-sucking insects, which in turn become infected by ingesting the blood of livestock. The pathology of the development of the disease is characterized by an increase in the number of microbial cells throughout the body due to their movement along with the blood. Regardless of the form of the disease, these microbes differ in such features: the shape is flat, oblong, dimensions are 35 by 3.5 microns.

Mechanism of infection and pathogenesis of the disease

At risk are people living near water bodies - places where livestock are watered and, as a result, a large accumulation of flies. However, do not forget about their wide distribution throughout the continent.

The mechanism of human infection is transmissible, through an insect bite. The disease originates from the appearance on the skin, at the site of the bite, the so-called chancre. Then the microbe enters the bloodstream, and a week later infects the lymphatic vessels. At advanced stages, it is characterized by brain damage and the development of pathologies of various internal organs. It is worth noting that trypanosomes cause massive death of nerve cells. Due to its variability in genes, the virus often causes relapses.

Main clinical manifestations

It has already been indicated above about the appearance of an inflamed boil on the skin due to an insect bite, which is the first sign of infection. At the next stages of development, such a disease as sleeping sickness proceeds with serious complications. The patient often has:

  • sudden changes in body temperature and a state of semi-delusion;
  • rashes on the body;
  • general weakness;
  • indifference;
  • pain in the joints and muscles;
  • sudden weight loss;
  • puffiness of the face.

Eye problems are often observed: general swelling of the skin around the eyes, cracking of the capillaries, clouding of the iris.

Complications of African trypanosomiasis

Sleeping sickness is most dangerous at its last stage, due to brain damage, which is manifested by a specific feature of the patient falling asleep in different situations. If the causative agent of sleeping sickness is in the carrier's blood in large quantities, the development of the disease leads to serious aggravating consequences, such as:

  • paralysis of the limbs;
  • exhaustion of the body and painful thinness;
  • epilepsy;
  • speech problems;
  • vision problems;
  • incontinence;
  • coma.

There is a very high trend of mortality among those infected in the advanced stages of the disease.

Testing for suspected trypanosomiasis

When contacting a hospital, a specialist must conduct a patient survey, a complete examination of the entire skin and lymph nodes. Although the symptoms of sleeping sickness are specific, a definitive diagnosis requires the study of laboratory tests, such as a standard blood test, a deep biological study of the lymph, and a skin biopsy.

With the advanced form of the disease, the appearance of the infected person changes dramatically: puffiness of the face and puffiness of the eyes, swelling of the tongue, jaw hanging down and absolute apathy to what is happening around are observed.

Symptoms of sleeping sickness and the clinical picture of the disease

African sleeping sickness can cause the following symptoms:

  • inflamed boil with a hard crust - a painful knot at the site of the bite, appearing a week after inoculation;
  • characteristic fever with constant jumps in temperature from high to low from the norm;
  • severe headaches;
  • lack of desire to do anything and complete indifference to what is happening;
  • cardiopalmus;
  • painful swelling of body parts;
  • characteristic rash on the extremities.

In the early stages, the disease may not manifest itself in any way up to one year after infection. In this case, the above described symptoms can be observed, but in a minor form. And so it can continue until the disease develops to a chronic stage.

As the disease progresses, more and more symptoms appear. Infected people have a general swelling of the face, the jaw droops, and problems with concentration appear. It is worth noting that if proper treatment is not provided at this stage, this leads to complications already known to us and a possible fatal outcome.

How to prevent the development of trypanosomiasis?

In order to prevent infection, the following simple measures should be followed:

  • use special insecticide preparations that repel insects;
  • systematically destroy tsetse flies;
  • get vaccinated regularly;
  • during work, use protective equipment covering exposed areas of the skin;
  • avoid places of high concentration of insects;
  • isolate those infected from contact with other people;
  • regularly increase the body's immunity.

Since trypanosomiasis is transmitted through infected insects, patients should be protected from contact with insects. If this is not done, an uninfected fly can suck his blood and, in the future, transmit the disease to the relatives of the ill person or his neighbors.

With minimal manifestations of symptoms, you should immediately seek the help of specialists who will conduct a timely diagnosis and prescribe treatment. However, due to the low quality of medical care in most African countries, this complicates the fight against the virus.

Conclusion

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