infections
African Sleeping Sickness
Symptoms of African Sleeping Sickness
In African sleeping sickness, different parts of the body are affected in the following order: Skin Blood and lymph nodes Brain and cerebrospinal fluid (the fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord) How quickly the infection progresses and which symptoms it causes depend on which species is the cause. A bump may develop at the site of the tsetse fly bite within a few days to 2 weeks. It turns dusky red and may become a painful and swollen sore. The infection spreads to the blood and lymph over a period of weeks or months. Then people have fevers that come and go, chills, headaches, and muscle and joint pain. The face may swell temporarily. In some people, a rash develops, and lymph nodes along the back of the neck enlarge. Overview of Anemia may develop. When the brain and cerebrospinal fluid are affected, headaches become persistent. People become drowsy, lose their concentration, and have problems with balance and walking. Drowsiness worsens, and people may fall asleep in the middle of activities. Without treatment, damage to the brain progresses, leading to coma and death. Death occurs within months or within 2 or 3 years after symptoms develop, depending on the species causing it. Death sometimes results from undernutrition or other infections. 