Animal trypanosomiasis, also known as nagana and nagana pest, or sleeping sickness, is a disease of vertebrates. The disease is caused by trypanosomes of several species in the genus Trypanosoma such as T. brucei. T. vivax causes nagana mainly in West Africa, although it has spread to South America.[1] The trypanosomes infect the blood of the vertebrate host, causing fever, weakness, and lethargy, which lead to weight loss and anemia; in some animals the disease is fatal unless treated. The trypanosomes are transmitted by tsetse flies.[2]
An interesting feature is the remarkable tolerance to nagana pathology shown by some breeds of cattle, notably the N'Dama – a West African Bos taurus breed. This contrasts with the susceptibility shown by East African B. indicus cattle such as the zebu.[3]
- ^ Batista, Jael S; Rodrigues, Carla MF; García, Herakles A; Bezerra, Francisco SB; Olinda, Robério G; Teixeira, Marta MG; Soto-Blanco, Benito (May 2011). "Association of Trypanosoma vivax in extracellular sites with central nervous system lesions and changes in cerebrospinal fluid in experimentally infected goats". Veterinary Research. 42 (1): 63. doi:10.1186/1297-9716-42-63. PMC 3105954. PMID 21569364.
- ^ "Human African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness)". Fact sheet. World Health Organization (WHO). 10 January 2022.
- ^ Courtin D, Berthier D, Thevenon S, Dayo GK, Garcia A, Bucheton B (May 2008). "Host genetics in African trypanosomiasis". Infection, Genetics and Evolution. 8 (3): 229–238. Bibcode:2008InfGE...8..229C. doi:10.1016/j.meegid.2008.02.007. PMID 18394971.