Ashwin Lewis
Sleep disorders are conditions that affect the quality and duration of sleep and wakefulness. There are over 80 types of sleep disorders, with more than 50 million people in the United States suffering from at least one. The most common sleep disorders include insomnia, sleep apnea, parasomnias, and restless leg syndrome. Sleep disorders can be caused by various factors, including medical conditions, mental health issues, genetic factors, substance use, and work schedules. Left untreated, sleep disorders can have severe consequences, including impaired daily functioning and adverse effects on health and longevity.
In addition to the various sleep disorders, there is also a disease called sleeping sickness or Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT). This disease is caused by parasite strains transmitted by the bites of infected tsetse flies and affects people in rural areas of sub-Saharan Africa. HAT has two forms depending on the parasite strain, with Trypanosoma brucei gambiense accounting for 92% of reported cases. Symptoms of HAT include behaviour changes, confusion, sensory disturbances, poor coordination, and sleep cycle disturbance, which gives the disease its name. Without treatment, HAT is usually fatal.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) |
| Other Names | Sleeping sickness |
| Cause | Parasitic disease caused by related parasite strains, Trypanosoma brucei gambiense and Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense |
| Transmission | Bites of tsetse flies (glossina) which have acquired the parasites from infected humans or animals |
| Infected Tsetse Fly Prevalence | Tsetse flies inhabit sub-Saharan Africa and only certain species transmit the disease |
| Most Exposed People | People in rural areas who depend on agriculture, fishing, animal husbandry or hunting |
| Diagnosis | Requires confirming the presence of the parasite in body fluids, usually in the blood and lymph system through a microscope |
| Treatment | Complex and requires specific skills |
| Fatality Rate | Usually fatal without treatment |
| Self-Cure | Rare cases of self-cure have been reported |
| New Cases | Sustained control efforts have reduced the number of new cases by 97% in the last 20 years |
| Target | WHO has set the target of eliminating sleeping sickness as a public health problem by 2020 and interruption of transmission (zero cases) by 2030 |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
- Parasites cross the blood-brain barrier, invading the central nervous system
- Neuropsychiatric symptoms like sleep disruption, confusion, lethargy, and convulsions
- Without treatment, sleeping sickness is usually fatal
- Effective treatments are being developed, including a new single-dose oral drug
- Populations in remote rural areas with limited health services are most at risk
Parasites cross the blood-brain barrier, invading the central nervous system
Human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), also known as sleeping sickness, is a vector-borne parasitic disease. It is caused by protozoans of the genus Trypanosoma, transmitted to humans by bites of tsetse flies (glossina) which have acquired the parasites from infected humans or animals.
Once the parasite enters the body, it disperses throughout, eventually crossing the blood-brain barrier and invading the central nervous system. This marks the second stage of the disease, which is characterised by more obvious signs and symptoms, including sleep cycle disturbance, behaviour changes, confusion, sensory disturbances, and poor coordination.
The exact mechanism by which the parasites cross the blood-brain barrier is not fully understood. However, it is known that Toxoplasma gondii infects the brain's endothelial cells, which line the blood vessels, and reproduces inside them.
Invasion of the central nervous system by parasites is considered a serious complication of the disease. Several parasitic infections of the brain are lethal if left untreated, such as Balamuthia and African trypanosomes. Others can be controlled by the immune response, remaining as chronic infections, such as Toxoplasma gondii and Trypanosoma cruzi.
Effective treatments for neuropathogenic protozoa are limited. For sleeping sickness, the treatment varies depending on the stage of the infection. Early-stage drugs such as suramin and pentamidine cannot cross the blood-brain barrier efficiently and therefore cannot be used to treat infections involving the central nervous system.
Crafting a Sleeping Bag: A Step-by-Step Guide
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Neuropsychiatric symptoms like sleep disruption, confusion, lethargy, and convulsions
Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT), also known as sleeping sickness, is a vector-borne parasitic disease caused by the parasite Trypanosoma. This parasite is transmitted to humans by the bite of tsetse flies, which inhabit sub-Saharan Africa. HAT threatens mainly rural populations with limited access to health services.
During the second stage of the disease, the parasites cross the blood-brain barrier and enter the central nervous system, causing neuropsychiatric symptoms. These can include:
- Sleep cycle disturbance, which is a prominent feature of the disease.
- Behaviour changes, confusion, and sensory disturbances.
- Poor coordination.
- REM sleep behaviour disorder, where individuals act out their dreams, shouting, kicking, grabbing, or punching during sleep.
- Excessive daytime sleepiness, with frequent short sleep periods during the day.
These neuropsychiatric symptoms can have severe disruptions to daily life, affecting emotional well-being, social interactions, and the ability to think clearly.
Sleep Number IQ: Understanding the Science of Sleep Technology
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Without treatment, sleeping sickness is usually fatal
Human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), also known as sleeping sickness, is a vector-borne parasitic disease. It is caused by the species Trypanosoma brucei, which is transmitted to humans by the bites of infected tsetse flies. Tsetse flies inhabit sub-Saharan Africa, and certain species transmit the disease.
The disease takes two forms, depending on the subspecies of the infecting parasite: Trypanosoma brucei gambiense (92% of reported cases) and Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense (8%). The first stage of the disease is characterised by fevers, headaches, itchiness, and joint pains, beginning one to three weeks after the bite.
If untreated, the parasite crosses the blood-brain barrier and invades the central nervous system, causing the meningo-encephalitic or second stage of the disease. This is when more obvious signs and symptoms of HAT appear, including behavioural changes, confusion, sensory disturbances, and poor coordination. Sleep cycle disturbance, which gives the disease its name, is a prominent feature.
Treatment for sleeping sickness has historically been complex, difficult to administer, and even toxic. The only treatment available for decades was melarsoprol, a drug developed in the 1940s. Derived from arsenic, it was so toxic that it killed one in 20 patients. In recent years, new treatments have been developed, including NECT, a safer combination treatment consisting of pills and intravenous infusions, and fexinidazole, the first-ever all-oral treatment for the disease.
A Warm and Fuzzy Dream: Husky Hair Sleeping Bags
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Effective treatments are being developed, including a new single-dose oral drug
Human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), also known as sleeping sickness, is a vector-borne parasitic disease. It is caused by protozoans of the genus Trypanosoma, transmitted to humans by bites of tsetse flies (glossina) which have acquired the parasites from infected humans or animals. Tsetse flies inhabit sub-Saharan Africa, and only certain species transmit the disease.
HAT takes two forms, depending on the subspecies of the infecting parasite: Trypanosoma brucei gambiense (92% of reported cases) and Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense (8%). The parasites cross the blood-brain barrier into the central nervous system, causing the second stage of the disease. This is when more obvious signs and symptoms of HAT appear, such as behavioural changes, confusion, sensory disturbances, and poor coordination. The sleep cycle disturbance, which gives the disease its name, is a prominent feature. Without treatment, HAT is usually fatal, although rare cases of self-cure have been reported.
Effective treatments are being developed by the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) and Sanofi, a global biopharmaceutical company. In 2020, they signed an agreement to finalize the development and rollout of an innovative single-dose oral sleeping sickness treatment called acoziborole. Acoziborole is a new chemical entity developed specifically for sleeping sickness. Once approved, the treatment could be administered in a single dose at the point of diagnosis, making it a game-changer to support the sustainable elimination of the disease. This treatment would be the second sleeping sickness treatment to be jointly developed by this public-private partnership, following the development of fexinidazole, the first all-oral drug for sleeping sickness.
Daytime Use of Laneige Sleeping Mask: Is It Possible?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
![Insomnia [Blu-ray]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91yjuJkz+ZL._AC_UY218_.jpg)
Populations in remote rural areas with limited health services are most at risk
Human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), also known as sleeping sickness, is a vector-borne parasitic disease. It is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma, transmitted to humans by the bites of tsetse flies (glossina) which have acquired the parasites from infected humans or animals. Tsetse flies inhabit sub-Saharan Africa, and only certain species transmit the disease.
Rural communities often experience significant health inequities compared to urban residents. They have higher incidences of chronic conditions, higher mortality rates, and higher engagement in health risk behaviours. They are more likely to suffer from heart disease, stroke, cancer, unintentional injuries, suicide risk, and chronic lung disease.
To address these inequities, there have been efforts to improve health equity, such as the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' (CMS') Framework for Advancing Health Care in Rural, Tribal, and Geographically Isolated Communities. Telehealth has also been used to reach people in rural areas, although broadband and computer access can be significant obstacles. Strengthening primary health care systems, monitoring health inequalities, and fostering integrated rural development planning are also important strategies to improve health equity in rural areas.
Choosing a Sleeping Bag for the Homeless
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
Sleeping sickness, or human African trypanosomiasis, is a life-threatening disease caused by related parasite strains, Trypanosoma brucei gambiense and Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense, transmitted by the tsetse fly.
People with early-stage sleeping sickness often go undiagnosed. If left untreated, the parasite crosses the blood-brain barrier and invades the central nervous system, causing advanced-stage sleeping sickness. During this stage, neuropsychiatric symptoms such as sleep disruption, confusion, lethargy, and convulsions appear. Without treatment, sleeping sickness is usually fatal.
The symptoms of sleeping sickness include sleep disruption, behaviour changes, confusion, sensory disturbances, poor coordination, lethargy, and convulsions.
Diagnosis of sleeping sickness involves invasive tests, such as confirming the presence of the parasite in body fluids, usually through a microscope. Painful lumbar punctures are used to detect the parasite in spinal fluid, indicating the advanced stage of the disease.
The treatment for sleeping sickness includes drugs such as fexinidazole and acoziborole. Efforts are being made to develop safe, effective, affordable, and easily administrable treatments for this debilitating disease.
