By Binta Iliyasu (Global Food Summit 2017), Featured in Novo - Der Kampf gegen die Schlafkrankheit

African trypanosomiasis - commonly referred to as "sleeping sickness" in humans, "Nagana" in animals - is an infectious disease caused by parasites. In humans, the disease is caused by Trypanosoma brucei gambiense (exciters of West African sleeping sickness) and Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense(Exciters of the East African sleeping sickness).Trypanosomes can not only infect most pet species, but also many wild-living species, which become carriers and therefore a further important source of infection due to non-existent acute symptoms. The economic losses due to trypanosomiasis in sub-Saharan Africa are estimated at several billion US dollars per year, without taking into account losses in milk production, transport and fertilizer. Every year, three million cattle and 55,000 people die from the various forms of the disease, making it a large obstacle to agricultural development.

For more information, read the article at Novo.