Sleeping Sickness
African Sleeping Sickness is caused by a protozoa called a trypanosoma. In Africa, the tsetse fly transmits the trypanosoma much like the way mosquitos transmit diseases. When the fly "bites", it also injects a blood thinner to allow the blood to flow freely. Contained within this blood thinner inside the fly is the parasitic trypanosome. As it injects this into the host, the protoza is then transmitted to the host as well.
African trypanosomiasis symptoms occur in two stages. The first stage is characterized by fever, headaches, joint pains, and itching. The trypanosome invades the circulatory and lymphatic system and can cause severe swelling of the lymph nodes. The lymph nodes can swell to tremendous sizes and this is called Winterbottom's sign. If left untreated, the disease overcomes the host's defenses and can cause more extensive damage, broadening symptoms to include anemia, endocrine, cardiac, and kidney dysfunctions. The second stage, called the neurological phase, begins when the parasite invades the central nervous system by passing through the blood-brain barrier. The term 'sleeping sickness' comes from the symptoms of the neurological phase. The symptoms include confusion, reduced coordination, and disruption of the sleep cycle, with bouts of fatigue fluctuating with manic periods leading to daytime slumber and night-time insomnia. Without treatment, the disease is invariably fatal, with progressive mental deterioration leading to coma and death. Damage caused in the neurological phase is irreversible.
If you cannot see the video below, you can access it in the assignments folder.
African trypanosomiasis symptoms occur in two stages. The first stage is characterized by fever, headaches, joint pains, and itching. The trypanosome invades the circulatory and lymphatic system and can cause severe swelling of the lymph nodes. The lymph nodes can swell to tremendous sizes and this is called Winterbottom's sign. If left untreated, the disease overcomes the host's defenses and can cause more extensive damage, broadening symptoms to include anemia, endocrine, cardiac, and kidney dysfunctions. The second stage, called the neurological phase, begins when the parasite invades the central nervous system by passing through the blood-brain barrier. The term 'sleeping sickness' comes from the symptoms of the neurological phase. The symptoms include confusion, reduced coordination, and disruption of the sleep cycle, with bouts of fatigue fluctuating with manic periods leading to daytime slumber and night-time insomnia. Without treatment, the disease is invariably fatal, with progressive mental deterioration leading to coma and death. Damage caused in the neurological phase is irreversible.
If you cannot see the video below, you can access it in the assignments folder.