Trypanosoma brucei
African sleeping sickness
Symptoms reported
- •Fever
- •Hemoflagellates in blood
- •Sleeping sickness symptoms
Life cycle
The parasite lives in the blood of animals and humans and is spread through the bite of a specialized fly.
Transmission
Bite of the tsetse fly
Conventional medical treatment
Suramin, Pentamidine, Melarsoprol, or Eflornithine depending on the disease stage
For information only. Discuss with a licensed healthcare provider before starting any pharmaceutical.
Treatment Options — Natural First, Pharmaceutical When Needed
Natural First
- •African Geranium
- •Goldenseal
- •Berberine
- •Activated charcoal (binder)
- •Hydration + electrolytes
- •Rest + bone broth nutrition
Pharmaceutical (if natural-first insufficient)
- •Suramin, Pentamidine, Melarsoprol, or Eflornithine depending on the disease stage
When to escalate to pharmaceutical
Pharmaceutical first if: > 14 days of diarrhea, dehydration, weight loss > 5%, immunocompromised host, hepatic abscess (Entamoeba), CNS involvement, or pregnancy.
Traditional herbal alternatives
In stock at our apothecary
Also referenced (not currently in our database):
Each herb above carries a tradition. See the 2,000-year lineage of Western herbal medicine →
“Trypanosoma brucei is the hemoflagellate that causes sleeping sickness. It is spread by the bite of the tsetse fly requiring travel to the “tsetse belt”.”
— Parasites Clinical Book (textbook)
This page is for educational purposes only. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Consult a licensed healthcare provider before acting on anything you read here.