Original article
English
M. G. Ahmed 1, S. A. Ahmed 2, R. K. Sanyal 3
1-Department of Medicine, Sebha Medical School, Sebha, Libya. 2-Juba University, Sudan (Microbiology). 3-Juba University, Sudan (Medicine).
Sebha Med J. 1999; Vol. 2(1):24-27
Abstract
Sleeping sickness is one of the major health problems in Africa. The present report deals with cases of sleeping sickness diagnosed in Juba Teaching Hospital, in South Sudan. During this study, 69 (21.5%) cases of sleeping sickness were identified out of 321 suspected patients investigated for the disease in the period 1982-1983. Headache, cervical Lymphadenopathy and fever were the commonest presenting features. Examination of lymph aspirate was the most helpful means of parasite recovery. Cerebrospinal fluid examination indicated meningoencephalitis in 24 (34.8%). After treatment and follow up for 2 years, full recovery was seen in 53 (76.8%) patients. Five (7.8%) cases continued to show high CSF cell count, 5 (7.8%) patients were still positive for trypanosoma and 6 (8.7%) patients died in the ward. The current situation indicates that morbidity in rural as well as urban populations in South Sudan remains an important factor in the epidemiology of the disease, and the control of sleeping sickness must continue to be a public health priority.
Keywords: Human Trypanosomiasis in Sudan
Link/DOI: