African Trypanosomiasis

Human African trypanosomiasis or sleeping sickness is caused by infection with the morphologically indistinguishable subspecies Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense (in East and Southern Africa) and Trypanosoma brucei gambiense (in West and Central Africa). The disease is presently almost under control and less than 4000 cases are currently reported. In both, T. b. rhodesiense and T. b. gambiense infection, after the injection of infective metacyclic trypanosomes with tsetse fly vector saliva, the parasites establish in the skin, differentiate to the bloodstream stage and spread via the local draining lymph node into the vascular system. In this book, Chapter One presents an overview of the current epidemiology, clinical features, diagnosis and treatment options. Chapter Two provides an in-depth review of diagnostic methods for African trypanosomiasis. Chapter Three discusses the use of aminoadamantane derivatives against Trypanosoma brucei.