Alternative Names & Classifications:
African Sleeping Sickness (CLINICAL), Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT) (CLINICAL)
Description
Also known as African sleeping sickness, this disease begins with extracellular parasites multiplying rapidly in the subcutaneous tissues, blood, and lymphatic system. Without aggressive early treatment, the parasites inevitably cross the blood-brain barrier to infect the central nervous system. This causes profound, irreversible neurological damage, catastrophic sleep cycle disruptions, and eventual coma and death.