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Project Description
  Flow Diagrams
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Diseases Under Investigation
  * Chagas' Disease
    [American Trypanosomiasis]
  * African Sleeping Sickness
    [African Trypanosomiasis]
  * Leishmaniasis
  * Malaria
Target Organisms
  * Trypanosoma cruzi
  * Trypanosoma brucei
  * Leishmania spp.
  * Plasmodium falciparum
  * (Plasmodium vivax)
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AFRICAN TRYPANOSOMIASIS
African Sleeping Sickness (Trypanosoma brucei)

African Trypanosomiasis (African Sleeping Sickness) has the potential to infect around sixty million people in thirty-six sub-Saharan African countries. Major epidemics have been reported in Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo and Sudan. The unicellular parasite is transmitted by the tse-tse fly. Current World Health Organization (WHO) estimates show that 300,000 to 500,000 people are infected and most will die within two years. These trypanosomids display antigenic variation and thus they easily develop resistance to drugs. In any case, the current drug treatments are toxic to humans. Further understanding of these parasites and drug development is needed to remedy this disease.

Organism Trypanosoma brucei
At Risk 60 million - sub-Saharan Africa
Humans Infected 300-500 thousand
Disease Outcome Uniformly fatal within two years
Vaccine Prospects Poor due to antigenic variation
Available Drugs Toxic, difficult to deliver
Drug Resistance Documented

General Information: Medline, World Health Organization