Question

Name the infectious agent of sleeping sickness​

Answer 1

Answer:

Sleeping sickness is a vector-borne parasitic disease. It is caused by infection with protozoan parasites belonging to the genus Trypanosoma. They are transmitted to humans by tsetse fly (Glossina genus) bites, which have acquired their infection from human beings or from animals harbouring the human pathogenic parasites.

Answer 2

African Trypanosomiasis, popularly known as "sleeping sickness," is caused by Trypanosoma brucei, a tiny parasite.

• Tsetse flies  which are exclusively found in Sub-Saharan Africa, spread the disease. Human disease patterns are caused by two morphologically similar subspecies of the parasite.
• In western and central Africa, T. b. gambiense produces a slowly progressive African trypanosomiasis, but in eastern and southern Africa, T. b. rhodesiense causes a more severe African trypanosomiasis.
• Control measures have reduced yearly incidences, with the number of reported cases falling below 10,000 for the first time in 50 years in 2009. Only about 2000 cases were reported to the World Health Organization in 2017–2018.