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Sleeping sickness in Uganda: revisiting current and historical distributions
Lea Berrang-Ford1, Martin Odiit, Faustin Maiso
1Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Canada. LeaBerrang@hotmail.com
African Health Sciences
|July 3, 2007
Summary
Historical sleeping sickness (human African trypanosomiasis) patterns in Uganda differ significantly from current distributions. This suggests a wider historical disease risk and highlights the need for updated control strategies.
Area of Science:
- Epidemiology
- Parasitology
- Public Health
Background:
- Sleeping sickness, a tsetse fly-borne parasitic disease, remains a significant public health concern in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in Uganda.
- Uganda has experienced multiple sleeping sickness outbreaks, including major ones from 1900-1920 and 1976-1989, with ongoing spread to new districts.
Observation:
- This study compared historical (1905-1920) and contemporary (early 2000s) spatial distributions of sleeping sickness in Uganda using archival records and Ministry of Health data.
- Historical sleeping sickness cases were concentrated in south-west and central Uganda, areas now considered disease-free, indicating a significant shift in geographical focus.
Findings:
- The current distribution of sleeping sickness in Uganda has shifted from the lakeshore areas of Buganda (1905-1920) to the Busoga and south-east districts.
- Archival data reveal a broader historical area of sleeping sickness risk than currently recognized, with disease foci potentially merging in the south-east and north-west.
Implications:
- The historical spatial dynamics of sleeping sickness suggest a wider potential risk area than current foci indicate.
- Addressing information gaps, such as tsetse fly distribution and livestock movement impacts, is crucial for effective future research, prevention, and control of sleeping sickness in Uganda.
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