#trypanosomiasis

African trypanosomiasis

It’s a Wipeout

Between 1896 and 1906, an epidemic raged in the heart of Africa. Countless thousands died from sleeping sickness (human African trypanosomiasis or HAT), a disease caused by two species of tiny parasite transmitted by tsetse flies. In the 1920s another wave struck, putting millions at risk. Another outbreak came in 1970 and lasted until the 1990s, affecting up to half the population in some villages. After decades of dedicated research and public health efforts, it looks like this deadly disease may finally be on the verge of being wiped out. Just 997 new cases of HAT were reported in 2018 – the lowest number since records began and a significant drop from 2,164 cases in 2016. This map shows the areas where people are still at risk of infection from the two parasites, Trypanosoma rhodesiense(blue) and Trypanosoma gambiense (red), providing a focus for the final push to eradicate the disease.

Written by Kat Arney

Image from work by José R. Franco and Giuliano Cecchi, and colleagues

World Health Organization, Control of Neglected Tropical Diseases, Geneva, Switzerland and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Animal Production and Health Division, Rome, Italy

Image originally published with a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Published in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, May 2020

Fly’s Eye View

What’s a tsetse fly’s favourite colour? Red or green? How about purple or gold? For people in sub-Saharan Africa, figuring out the answer could be life-saving. Tsetse flies transmit parasites called trypanosomes that cause sleeping sickness (also known as trypanosomiasis) in humans and animals. Although its name sounds benign, the disease causes serious brain problems and is fatal if untreated. One idea for controlling tsetse flies is to use traps like this one, which use smelly chemicals to lure the insects on to an insecticide-covered cloth. These are usually black or blue but after studying the range of colours that the fly’s eyes can detect, researchers realised that the insects would more attracted to violet cloth. In tests, the violet cloth traps attracted around 50 per cent more female flies than black or blue ones, proving that a simple colour change could make a big difference for controlling tsetse-borne disease.

Written by Kat Arney

Image by Prof. Steve Torr, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine

Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK

Image originally published with a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Research published in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, December 2019

ICD-10 code B56.9 for African trypanosomiasis, unspecified is a medical classification as listed by WHO under the range - Certain infectious and parasitic diseases .

For more details:

🌐 www.transorze.com

ICD-10 code B56.9 for African trypanosomiasis, unspecified is a medical classification as listed by WHO under the range - Certain infectious and parasitic diseases .

For more details:

🌐 www.transorze.com