Sven Torfinn - Home Page

SLEEPING SICKNESS

It was thought that Sleeping Sickness was nearly eradicated through vigorous colonial control programmes in the first half of the 20th century. Due to natural disasters, man-made conflicts and chronic underdevelopment the infrastructure and human capacity collapsed in countries like Sudan, and disease started to re-emerge. Nowadays many thousands die each year. And the lack of pharmaceutical research, low political priority and ongoing armed conflicts are not helpful for a better outlook. A tiny tsetse fly will continue to bite and transmit a parasite which eventually effects the brain making a human to sleep during daytime before dying.