Trypanosomes and tsetse fly as cause of sleeping sickness
Tripanosomas y mosca tse-tsé como causa de la enfermedad del sueño
- Date
- 1895-1903 · confidence high
- Place
- Entebbe, Uganda
- Credited to
- David Bruce, Aldo Castellani, Joseph Dutton and Robert Forde
- People
- 👤 Aldo Castellani1874–1971👤 David Bruce1855–1931👤 Joseph Dutton1843–1931👤 Robert Forde1875–1959
- Field
- Life & health
⚠️ Disputed: the sources disagree.
What was discovered
Bruce demonstrated in Zululand (1895) that a trypanosome transmitted by the tsetse fly causes nagana in cattle; in 1902-1903 trypanosomes were found in the blood and cerebrospinal fluid of sleeping-sickness patients. It explained a disease that was depopulating entire regions.
Castellani and Bruce disputed priority; Forde and Dutton had seen the parasite in Gambia in 1901-1902.
What it led to
- control of the tsetse fly and sleeping sickness
- trypanocidal drugs (atoxyl, suramin)
- understanding of Africa's cattle-free zones