African trypanosomiasis, also called "sleeping sickness," is brought on by parasites of the Trypanosoma brucei species. The tsetse fly (Glossina species), only found in sub-Saharan Africa, is the vector of this disease. The parasite's two physically identical subspecies cause two different illness patterns in humans: In western and central Africa, T. b. gambiense causes a slowly spreading African trypanosomiasis, and in eastern and southern Africa, T. b. rhodesiense causes a more severe form. Control measures have decreased the number of yearly cases, and in 2009, for the first time in 50 years, there were fewer than 10,000 reported cases.
Less than 2000 cases were reported to WHO in 2017–2018. Less than 700 cases were reported to WHO in 2020; more than 85% were caused by T. b. gambiense , and 15% by T. b. rhodesiense . Sleeping sickness is treatable with medication; however, it may be…
