Facts On Infection & Risk Factors For African Trypanosomiasis

African trypanosomiasis is a disease caused by the parasitic invasion of various systems in the body. The disease is also called sleeping sickness because it causes disturbances to the sleep cycle. The bite of an infected tsetse fly is the primary cause of transmission. The tsetse fly, which is only found in sub-Saharan Africa, harbors Trypanosoma brucei parasites that spread through your blood after a bite. There are two forms of the disease, Trypanosoma brucei gambiense (TbG) and Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense (TbR). TbR is the more severe form, but it accounts for less than two percent of reported cases.