Sleeping Sickness Elimination in Sight: Time to Celebrate and Reflect, but Not Relax

Sleeping sickness, also known as human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), is one of the neglected tropical diseases of sub-Saharan Africa that has plagued human health and agricultural development.In West Africa, infection with Trypanosoma brucei gambiense gives rise to a chronic disease that mainly affects humans.Infection with T. b. gambiense accounts for more than 90% of reported sleeping sickness cases.In East Africa, infection with Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense generates acute disease in humans, and also circulates in a relatively unaffected livestock reservoir.Both Gambian and Rhodesian sleeping sickness are fatal if left untreated.The parasites are transmitted to the mammalian host through the bite of an infected tsetse fly.