African sleeping disease, also referred to as African sleeping sickness and African trypanosomiasis, results from the bite of a tsetse fly. The disease has two main types depending on the area the two different species of the tsetse fly originate. The two types include East African trypanosomiasis and the more common West African trypanosomiasis. The symptoms of each disease--while similar--may vary according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Recognizing the symptoms associated with African sleeping disease proves important because without prompt and proper treatment, the condition is deadly.
Initial Symptoms
The first phase of African sleeping disease, referred to as the haemolymphatic phase, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), develops following the bite of an infected tsetse fly. The symptoms begin to emerge one to three weeks following the bite. A painful red sore may form in the area bitten. Fevers, headaches and fatigue begin. Aching joints and muscles accompany these symptoms. Irritability a rash and mood swings are also common symptoms of the disease. People suffering from the West African sleeping sickness generally become sicker than those suffering from the East African form of the virus. In addition to the previous symptoms, the West African virus causes swelling of the face and hands, itching skin and swollen lymph nodes.
Neurologic Disturbances
As the disease progresses, the virus crossed the barrier of the brain and infects the central nervous system. This phase of the disease, referred to as the neurological phase, according to WHO, involves the symptoms commonly associated with the sleeping sickness. People infected with the African sleeping virus start seeing signs of sleep cycle disturbances. Insomnia begins at night and increased sleepiness occurs during the day. The fatigue becomes an uncontrollable urge to go to sleep, according to Medline Plus. As the virus progresses, each of the symptoms worsen. Infected people without treatment become confused and have difficulty with coordination. The urge to sleep eventually places the person in a comatose state.
Death
Without proper treatment, both forms of African sleeping disease cause death for the infected person. Death normally occurs from heart failure within six months from the initial tsetse fly bite and parasite infection in the East African sleeping disease. The virus associated with the West African sleeping disease may claim a person's life within a few weeks because of the aggressiveness of the parasite.
