Case Report Challenges in the diagnosis and management of sleeping sickness in Tanzania: a case report

Sleeping sickness also known as Human African trypanosomiasis is a disease of human which exists in two forms and is caused by infection with either Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense (acute sleeping sickness, endemic in East and South Africa) or T.b. gambiense (chronic sleeping sickness, endemic in West and Central Africa) (Welburn et al., 2001). In Tanzania sleeping sickness presents a serious threat to human health with an annual incidence of 400 cases (Mcharo & Kitua 2001). Tanzania has experienced several major epidemics of sleeping sickness since the disease was first documented at the turn of the last century (Kihamia et al., 1991). The animal reservoir for T. b. rhodesiense in Tanzania comprises both wild animals and domestic livestock, all of which are incriminated to play a role in maintaining the disease (Mwambu & Mayende, 1971).