NTD Intelligence

Human African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness)

Neglected tropical disease intelligence: burden, staged therapeutics with published-evidence filter, and documented post-infectious syndrome with literature persistence rates.

Deaths / year
1,000
GBD (indicative unless refreshed)
DALYs / year
100,000
GBD
Pathogen
Protozoa
Post-infectious
Lasting sequela
Persistent symptoms
n/a
CNS-stage survivors

Post-infectious syndrome & persistent symptoms

Whether a post-acute infection syndrome is documented and the literature proportion with persistent symptoms.

Documented post-infectious syndrome
Neuropsychiatric / sleep-cycle sequelae (CNS-stage)
not quantified
persistent symptoms — of CNS-stage survivors
Summary
Residual neuropsychiatric and sleep-architecture abnormalities after successful treatment of second-stage disease; not systematically quantified.
Timeframe
post-treatment
Evidence strength
limited
Classification
Lasting sequela
Sources: WHO HAT technical reports

Therapeutic agents by stage

Vector control, prevention, acute treatment, and post-infectious care. Only agents with published evidence are shown by default.

Vector & transmission control

AgentTypeStatusMechanism / roleSource
Tsetse fly control (traps, insecticide)Vector controlApprovedReduce Glossina transmissionWHO HAT

Acute phase

AgentTypeStatusMechanism / roleSource
PentamidineAntiparasiticApprovedFirst-stage T. b. gambiense (hemolymphatic)WHO EML / standard of care
SuraminAntiparasiticApprovedFirst-stage T. b. rhodesienseWHO EML / standard of care
Eflornithine (DFMO)AntiparasiticApprovedSecond-stage T. b. gambiense (CNS)WHO EML / standard of care
MelarsoprolAntiparasiticApprovedSecond-stage (both subspecies; toxic arsenical)WHO EML / standard of care
FexinidazoleAntiparasiticApprovedOral regimen for T. b. gambiense (first- and second-stage)WHO 2019
Nifurtimox–eflornithine combination (NECT)AntiparasiticApprovedSecond-stage T. b. gambienseWHO EML / standard of care
ACOZIBOROLEPipelineSmall moleculePhase 3Open Targets (clinical pipeline)

Post-infectious phase

AgentTypeStatusMechanism / roleSource
Neuropsychiatric rehabilitationRehabilitationApprovedSleep-cycle & cognitive sequelae post-CNS diseaseWHO HAT

Associated drug targets (Open Targets): ODC1, PSAP, NPC1, KCNA1, GALC, TP53BP2

Burden: IHME GBD (indicative seed unless refreshed) · Therapeutics: curated WHO EML / SOC + Open Targets pipeline · Post-infectious data: curated peer-reviewed literature · Ontology: MONDO_0005459 · Updated 2026-07-10. Associations, not a diagnostic test.