People who travel often, and especially on the African continent, it is important to know about such a disease as sleeping sickness. The causative agent of sleeping sickness, trypanosoma, can enter the human body after being bitten by a tsetse fly. Recently, there has been a growing trend towards a decrease in the number of cases of African trypanosomiasis. This is due to many factors, the main of which is the improvement in living standards in these countries.
Sleeping Sickness Pathogen
The main carrier of the disease is the tsetse fly. It is worth noting that there are several varieties of the disease. The first type affects animals (both wild and domestic). The Gambian species is characteristic of areas with high humidity (for example, western Africa). The Rhodesian form is most common in the eastern part, where the climate is drier.
The causative agent of sleeping sickness is a eukaryote, its dimensions do not exceed 20 microns in length. The parasite has an elongated fusiform shape. During the bite of a fly is betrayeda huge number of trypanosomes - about 400 thousand. It should be noted that about 400 parasites are enough to infect a person. A fly is capable of being a carrier throughout its life.
How infection occurs
When a fly enters the body, the causative agent of sleeping sickness begins to multiply rapidly. After a few days, trypomastigote forms are already present in the salivary glands. There they are modified into a special form - epimastigotes. They share multiple times. The invasive stage (trypomastigotes) is formed by complex morphological changes. A few days after a human bite, blood trypomastigts enter the bloodstream, lymphatic fluid, and then spread throughout the body. With the further development of the disease, parasites enter the central nervous system. In the brain, the microorganism affects both the gray and white matter, causes inflammation, and leads to degenerative changes. In a sick person, antibodies to these parasites are found (as a rule, in the local population). In this case, the disease becomes chronic. For visiting tourists, sleeping sickness is usually quite acute.
Symptoms of the disease
When a fly bites, a chancre forms at the site of the lesion. This is a painful knot that itches. It is worth noting that the causative agent of sleeping sickness only in a small amount immediately enters the bloodstream. The bulk remains at the site of the bite, where it multiplies intensively. The chancre disappears after a couple of days, sometimes it remains in its placescar. In the first period, a person's sleeping sickness is characterized by the following symptoms: headaches, discomfort in the joints. Also, patients note an increase in lymph nodes. There may also be fever and fever. The hemolymphatic stage causes loss of appetite, weakness, and irregular heartbeat. There are also problems in the work of internal organs. With the Gabmian type, the disease can be unidentified for a long time.
Current Rhodesian type of sleeping sickness
The Rhodesian form of the disease is more complex and more severe. All symptoms are more pronounced. It should be noted that the causative agent of this type of sleeping sickness affects the lymph nodes to a lesser extent. A few weeks (up to 6) after infection, the central nervous system is affected. This leads to clouding of consciousness, coordination of movements is disturbed, sleep disorders can also be observed: daytime sleepiness increases. Very often there is a defeat of the organs of the cardiovascular system. It is also worth noting that almost immediately after infection with the Rhodesian form of sleeping sickness, the body is depleted. Late stages are characterized by impaired speech, paralysis, possibly a coma. In the most severe cases, death can occur (most often from malnutrition, heart problems, co-infections).
How is the disease diagnosed? Treatment
Due to the fact that sleeping sickness has causes such as the penetration of parasites into the bloodstream, it is necessary to diagnosepatient's blood test. The presence of live trypanosomes makes it possible to reliably diagnose. You may also need to examine the cerebrospinal fluid. This is necessary to determine the stage of sleeping sickness, competent selection of drugs. It is very important to start treatment as early as possible. At the initial stages, arsenic compounds, suramin, pentamidine are used. With the Gambian form, eflornithine is effective. Treatment of sleeping sickness with such drugs occurs under the strict supervision of specialists, since they are all quite toxic, and can also cause a number of serious consequences.
How effective the therapy is, judged by blood (and cerebrospinal fluid) tests, which must be carried out throughout the year. This is due to the fact that the parasite can remain viable for a long time, and the disease can relapse even several months after intensive treatment.
How to protect yourself from this disease
First of all, you should not, unless absolutely necessary, visit the area where the causative agent of sleeping sickness is found in abundant quantities. If this cannot be avoided, then you should remember about insect repellents. There are special repellents that repel flies, etc. Clothing must be chosen with long sleeves, light colors. Also, during mass outbreaks of sleeping sickness, it is recommended to administer the drug pentamidine. In African countries, bushes are being cut down near settlements, and the tsetse fly is exterminated with the help of chemicals. AtWith timely treatment, the recovery of patients reaches 100%. If therapy is started rather late, or if sleeping sickness is caused by a Rhodesian type of parasite, then the prognosis in this case is not so encouraging. It is worth remembering that sleeping sickness is a fatal diagnosis if left untreated.
