Sleeping sickness, more formally referred to as African trypanosomiasis, is a parasitic disease transmitted to humans bitten by an infected tsetse fly. This disease only occurs in sub-Saharan Africa, which is where infected tsetse flies reside, explains the World Health Organization (WHO). Estimates provided by WHO indicate that more that 12,000 people develop sleeping sickness each year. Left untreated, sleeping sickness can be fatal.
Skin Lesion
Initially, people will develop a inflammatory skin lesion (a chancre) at the site of the tsetse fly bite, explains Medline Plus, an informational online medical encyclopedia supported by the National Institutes of Health. They will notice that the skin surrounding the bite area appears red, swollen or inflamed. Skin lesion symptoms typically arise within one to three weeks following the tsetse fly bite, report health officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Flu-like Symptoms
If a person receives a bite from an infected tsetse fly, they can develop flu-like symptoms of sleeping sickness when the parasite reaches their bloodstream. These symptoms include fever; body, joint and muscle aches; headache; fatigue; swollen lymph nodes; sweating; decreased appetite or weight loss, warn Medline Plus health officials. In certain cases, the CDC reports that these sleeping sickness symptoms may not arise for several months after the initial exposure to the infection. Flu-like sleeping sickness symptoms can initially be mild but may become progressively more severe as the infection spreads throughout the body.
Sleeping Irregularities
Profound, uncontrollable sleepiness is a prominent symptom of sleeping sickness. Typically, patients with this condition sleep for long periods of time during the day, explains University of Virginia (UVA) Health System officials. At night, these patients often have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep--a condition called insomnia. Severe fatigue can significantly impact their ability to remain active and alert during the day, which can affect their productivity at home, school or work.
Mood or Behavioral Changes
As this infection progresses, the parasite can attack the central nervous system, causing significant mood and behavioral changes within the affected patient. Neurological symptoms caused by sleeping sickness can include confusion, poor motor coordination, personality changes, anxiety, vision alterations, slurred speech, seizures, irritability or decreased concentration; explain both UVA Health System and WHO health officials. These symptoms become progressively worse without treatment and can eventually cause death due to excessive swelling of the brain.
