While the annual number of new detected cases of African sleeping sickness has been falling since the late 1990s, there could still be a resurgence of the disease unless control efforts are maintained, say tropical disease experts in this week's PLoS Medicine.
Although elimination of the disease is considered feasible, say Pere Simarro (World Health Organization) and colleagues, there is a risk that the disease could suffer the "punishment of success," receiving lower priority by public and private health institutions with the consequent risk of losing the capacity to maintain disease control.
"While waiting for new tools for sleeping sickness control," say the authors, "the greatest challenge for the coming years will be to increase and sustain the current control efforts using existing tools."
Citation: Simarro PP, Jannin J, Cattand P (2008) Eliminating human African
trypanosomiasis: Where do we stand and what comes next?
PLoS Med 5(2): e55.
http://medicine.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi=10.1371/journal.pmed.0050055
Source: Public Library of Science
Related stories:
15 human genomes each week
The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute has sequenced the equivalent of 300 human genomes in just over six months. The Institute has just reached the staggering total of 1,000,000,000,000 letters of genetic code that will be read by researchers worldwide, helping them to understand the role of genes in health and disease. Scientists will be able to answer questions unthinkable even a few years ago and human medical genetics will be transformed.
Team finds key mechanism of DDT resistance in malarial mosquitoes
University of Illinois researchers have identified a key detoxifying protein in Anopheles mosquitoes that metabolizes DDT, a synthetic insecticide used since World War II to control the mosquitoes that spread malaria.
Study finds multiple neglected tropical diseases effectively treated with drugs
The neglected tropical diseases are a group of 13 infectious diseases, including elephantiasis, hookworm, African sleeping sickness and trachoma, which affect more than 1 billion people worldwide, most of whom live in extreme poverty. In a study published in the most recent
Journal of the American Medical Association, Madhuri Reddy, M.D., M.Sc., a geriatrician at Hebrew SeniorLife in Boston, says that treating two or more of them simultaneously for only pennies per dose can facilitate treatment of these diseases.
The insect vector always bites twice
The reality of the threat from vector-borne diseases has been recognized and the problem is prompting research scientists to take a strong interest. Most of these infections, classified as emerging or re-emerging diseases, are linked to ecosystem changes, climatic variations or pressure from human activities. Malaria, sleeping sickness and so on lead to the death of millions of people in the world. African countries are particularly strongly hit. The expansion of Dengue fever and the recent epidemics of Chikungunya and West Nile disease illustrate the trend.
Researchers Endorse Global Early Warning System to Prevent Pandemics
Could the HIV pandemic have been prevented? Nathan Wolfe, professor of epidemiology at the UCLA School of Public Health, says yes, and he's working to prevent the next one.
Ewwwww! UCLA anthropologist studies evolution's disgusting side
Behind every wave of disgust that comes your way may be a biological imperative much greater than the urge to lose your lunch, according to a growing body of research by a UCLA anthropologist.
Gene chip technology shows potential for identifying life-threatening blood infection
Right now there's no rapid way to diagnose sepsis, a fast-moving blood infection that is a leading cause of death in hospital intensive care units. The illness unleashes a powerful inflammatory response that can quickly overwhelm the body, causing organ failure and death, often within days.
Gene chip technology shows potential for identifying life-threatening blood infection
Right now there's no rapid way to diagnose sepsis, a fast-moving blood infection that is a leading cause of death in hospital intensive care units. The illness unleashes a powerful inflammatory response that can quickly overwhelm the body, causing organ failure and death, often within days.