African trypanosomiasis history and symptoms

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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-In-Chief: Pilar Almonacid

Symptoms

Symptoms of African trypanosomiasis include:

	Symptoms
Systemic	Sweating Anxiety Fever
First stage (hemo-lyphatic stage)	Headaches Joint pains and itching
Second stage (neurological or meningo-encephalic stage)	Changes of behaviour Confusion Sensory disturbances Poor coordination Disturbance of the sleep cycle,

The subspecies that cause African trypanosomiasis have different rates of disease progression, and the clinical features depend on which form of the parasite (T. b. rhodesiense or T. b. gambiense) is causing the infection.

	Progression	Incubation period	Symptoms
			First stage	Second stage
T. b. rhodesiense infection (East African sleeping sickness)	Rapid	1-2 weeks	A large sore (a chancre) will develop at the site of the tsetse bite Fever, headache, muscle and joint aches, and enlarged lymph node
T. b. gambiense infection (West African sleeping sickness)	slow	1-

,. Most patients develops within 1-2 weeks of the infective bite. Some people develop a rash. After a few weeks of infection, the parasite invades the central nervous system and eventually causes mental deterioration and other neurologic problems. Death ensues usually within months.

T. b. gambiense infection (West African sleeping sickness) progresses more slowly. At first, there may be only mild symptoms. Infected persons may have intermittent fevers, headaches, muscle and joint aches, and malaise. Itching of the skin, swollen lymph nodes, and weight loss can occur. Usually, after 1-2 years, there is evidence of central nervous system involvement, with personality changes, daytime sleepiness with nighttime sleep disturbance, and progressive confusion. Other neurologic signs, such as partial paralysis or problems with balance or walking may occur, as well as hormonal imbalances. The course of untreated infection rarely lasts longer than 6-7 years and more often kills in about 3 years.