In the article called, "Sleeping sickness parasite has a weak spot in its tail," written by Catherine Brahic was an acknowledging article. I have learned a lot about sleeping sickness. What I have learned from this article was that sleeping sickness which is also known as the African sleeping sickness is a parasitic disease of people and animals. Sleeping sickness is caused by an infection in the brain and spinal cord. This disease develops slowly and if treatment is delayed, it usually proves to be fatal (Dr. Charlie Easmon). Catherine Brahic has stated that about 50,000 people in African have died every year due to the sleeping sickness. Scientists have found a way to attack the sleeping sickness parasite by weakening its "tail."
Imagine a disease that starts with a fly's bite and ends in death? This disease is caused by tsetse flies. Once it has given humans their bite it run through the human's bloodstream. Flagellate reproduces in the bloodstream and can also migrate into the nervous system. Keith Gull at the University of Oxford, UK, and his colleagues have made a surprising discovery: flagella also play a crucial role in Trypanosoma brucei cell division (Roxanne Khamsi).Trypanosoma brucei can last several years until it finally develops into a coma. If the nervous system is affected, the patient can no longer be cured and eventually dies. These diseases, which only affect people in poor countries has to come to a stop it has become a huge issue in these countries where they can't afford special attention neither can they afford medicines from pharmacies.
Now think about how many people are affected or how does sleeping sickness occur? Well we don't have an estimated number of people that have been affected by this sickness. But obviously this Trypanosoma brucei gambiense parasite can only affect humans, that means millions or even billions or poor people have been affected by this. Not only can this parasite occur to only humans but also to animals. Only one kind of animal cell is flagellated (eukaryotic cell). What I would recommend to the people who live in the western and central parts of Africa is to prevent the places where the tsetse fly lives in these poor countries. There is still no treatment for this disease. The four drugs that can be used for treatment is pentamidine (Pentacarinat), melarsoprol, eflornithine and suramin. (Dr. Charlie Easmon)
I have found this article to be very meaningful to me which has taught me a lot about the sleeping disease. It has given me a new thought about the cause of this infection. Although I have learned a lot about sleeping sickness from this article it has lacked a lot of missing information. It also does not say anything about how soon these poor people can expect to see some medication for this disease. There was limited coverage of scientific research which was insufficient and left with us not knowing what happened next. I would have loved this article even more if it was a little more educating and had specific details which could have made my analysis a better view for others.
References:
http://www.scidev.net/en/news/sleeping-sickness-parasite-has-a-weak-spot-in-its.html http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn8822 http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/228613-overview#a0199