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human African trypanosomiasis - Clinical Profile, Treatments & Trials | Kisho | Kisho

Rare Disease

human African trypanosomiasis

MONDO:0005459

Also known as:Africam sleeping sicknessAfrican sleeping sicknessAfrican trypanosomiasis

Find Clinical TrialsTrials

Overview

A parasitic disorder caused by protozoa of the Trypanosoma brucei species. It is transmitted by flies and is endemic in various regions of Sub-Saharan Africa. Signs and symptoms include fever, joint pain, headache, and significant swelling of the lymph nodes. If left untreated, the parasitic infection causes anemia, heart, kidney, and endocrine failure, and neurologic damage. Subsequently patients develop confusion, disruption of the sleep cycle, and mental deterioration. The infection may lead to coma and death.

Treatments1 FDA approved

Clinical Trials1 registered

Clinical Presentation

Built from Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO) phenotype annotations and GeneReviews clinical descriptions. Features represent findings documented across known cases — not an exhaustive list of possible symptoms.

Features include very common findings: Nervous system problems (abnormality of the nervous system), Excessive daytime somnolence, Sleep disturbance, and Sleep-wake cycle disturbance and others; and common findings: Lack of interest or motivation (apathy), Pruritus, Muscle weakness, and Hepatosplenomegaly and others. 85 total HPO annotations.

Organ System	Phenotype Count	Example Features
Brain and nerves	25	Nervous system problems (abnormality of the nervous system), Excessive daytime somnolence, Lack of interest or motivation (apathy)

Diagnosis

Biomarker and diagnostic research for human African trypanosomiasis has been reported in the published literature.

Treatment

Compiled from FDA-approved drug records, orphan drug designations, and FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) safety data. GeneReviews management guidance is included where available.

1 FDA-approved treatment is available for human African trypanosomiasis, including FEXINIDAZOLE (FEXINIDAZOLE, approved 2021). An additional 3 compounds hold orphan drug designation.

Approved Therapies

Brand Name	Generic Name	Mechanism	Approved	Market Status

Prognosis

Phenotype severity distribution: 6 very common features, 18 common features.

Estimated prevalence: Unknown (Unknown prevalence).

Research Landscape

Sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov and PubMed. Publication types are classified using NLM-curated article metadata; research type breakdowns reflect the nature of published work for this disease.

1 clinical trial registered. Interventions under study include drug therapy. Pipeline includes 1 PHASE3. Research is primarily sponsored by academic and government institutions.

181 publications have been identified in PubMed for human African trypanosomiasis. Research spans Basic Science / Preclinical (26%), Gene Therapy / Novel Therapeutics (21%), and Epidemiology / Natural History (20%).

Research Type	Count	% of Total
Laboratory research	47

Data assembled from 6 of 12 sources · Last updated Sep 18, 2026, 6:51 PM UTC

MONDOHPOClinicalTrials.govFDAPubMedHGNCClinVarClinGenGeneReviewsOrphanetOMIMRUSP

Medical References

External Resources

Orphanet

European rare disease database

Orphanet:3385

GARD

Genetic and Rare Diseases Info Center

GARD:7826

Questions for Your Care Team

→What are the benefits and potential side effects of FEXINIDAZOLE for managing human African trypanosomiasis?
→Are any of the 1 active clinical trial a good fit for my situation?
→Are there specialists or centers of excellence for this condition in my area?
→Is there a patient registry I should consider joining?

← Back to All Diseases

Brand Name	Generic Name	Sponsor	Designated	Exclusivity End	Designation Status
suramin	suramin	PaxMedica, Inc.	2021	—	Designated
melarsoprol-hydroxypropylbetadex	melarsoprol-hydroxypropylbetadex	Peter Kennedy, CBE, MD, PhD, DSc, FRCP FMedSci,	2013	—	Designated
Pafuramidine maleate	Pafuramidine maleate	Immtech Pharmaceuticals, Inc.	2007	—	Designated

Kisho

human African trypanosomiasis

Overview

Clinical Presentation

Diagnosis

Treatment

Approved Therapies

Prognosis

Research Landscape

Medical References

External Resources

Orphanet

GARD

Questions for Your Care Team

Questions for Your Care Team

Explore clinical features

Orphan Drug Designations

Clinical Trials

Recent Publications

human African trypanosomiasis

Overview

Clinical Presentation

Diagnosis

Treatment

Approved Therapies

Prognosis

Research Landscape

Medical References

External Resources

Orphanet

GARD

Related Diseases

Questions for Your Care Team

Questions for Your Care Team

Explore clinical features

Orphan Drug Designations

Clinical Trials

Recent Publications