Historia, actualidad y nuevos horizontes para la Enfermedad del Sueño

Laburpena

Sleeping sickness is one of the many sub-Saharan African endemic vector-diseases. This infection can be contracted by being bitten by a tsetse fly and thus having one of the two carrier parasites inoculated into the blood stream: the Trypanosoma brucei gambiense in Western and Central Africa or the Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense in Southeastern Africa. The aim of this study is to thoroughly and systematically review the evolution of sleeping sickness throughout history, epidemiology, treatments and methods of diagnosis, prevention and control in order to identify at which stage the disease is currently at and the consequent problems with regards to the population. Therefore, we feel it necessary to contribute towards the research into new avenues of organization and investigation in order to reinforce the health system of these countries, including the fundamental points of the development of diagnosis methods and treatment, mapping systems and surveillance as well as the training of national groups, which will essentially act as our number one port of call should such a disease reappear in the future.