East African trypanosomiasis is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense . West African trypanosomiasis is caused by Trypanosoma brucei gambiense . The parasites are spread by tsetse flies, found only in Africa. East African trypanosomiasis occurs in parts of Eastern and Central Africa, including Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Ethiopia, Zaire, Zimbabwe, and Botswana. West African trypanosomiasis is found in parts of Western and Central Africa.
People get African trypanosomiasis from the bite of an infected tsetse fly.
In rare cases, an infected pregnant woman can pass the infection to her baby. Infection can also be transmitted by blood transfusion or organ transplant, but very rarely. In cases of East African trypanosomiasis, other symptoms occur within 1 to 4 weeks of infection and include fever, severe headache, irritability, extreme tiredness, swollen lymph glands, and aching muscles and joints. Weight loss and a body rash are also common. Infection of the central nervous system causes confusion, personality changes, slurred speech, seizures, and difficulty in walking and talking.