sleeping sickness

American  

[slee-ping sik-nis] / ˈsli pɪŋ ˌsɪk nɪs /

noun

Pathology.

1. Also called African sleeping sickness,.  Also called African trypanosomiasis.  a generally fatal disease, common in parts of Africa, characterized by fever, wasting, and progressive lethargy: caused by a parasitic protozoan, Trypanosoma gambiense or T. rhodesiense, that is carried by a tsetse fly, Glossina palpalis.

2. Also called epidemic encephalitis,.  Also called lethargic encephalitis.  a viral disease affecting the brain, characterized by apathy, sleepiness, extreme muscular weakness, and impairment of vision.

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sleeping sickness British  

noun

1. Also called: African sleeping sickness.  an African disease caused by infection with protozoans of the genus Trypanosoma, characterized by fever, wasting, and sluggishness

2. Technical name: encephalitis lethargica.  Also called (esp formerly): sleepy sickness.  an epidemic viral form of encephalitis characterized by extreme drowsiness

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sleeping sickness Scientific  

/ slē′pĭng /

1. An often fatal protozoan infection prevalent in tropical Africa, caused by either of two trypanosomes spread by the bite of the tsetse fly and characterized by fever and extreme lethargy.

2. Encephalitis that is caused by any of various viruses and is characterized by lethargy and extreme muscular weakness.

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Etymology

Origin of sleeping sickness

First recorded in 1870–75

Example Sentences

It's also known as "triple E" or sleeping sickness and gets part of its name from the fact that it infects horses as well as humans.

From Salon • Aug. 29, 2024

In 2017, Naviaux and his team completed early clinical testing for suramin, the only drug approved in humans that can target ATP signaling and which is normally used to treat African sleeping sickness.

From Science Daily • May 10, 2024

With Death’s capture, millions are suddenly affected by a strange sleeping sickness: either unable to sleep or basically in a coma.

From The Verge • Aug. 5, 2022

It was known how the APOL1 protein protected against sleeping sickness — it punched holes in the disease-causing trypanosomes, making them swell with fluid and burst.

From New York Times • May 17, 2022

“Well, that’s good, because what I’ve heard about sleeping sickness is you die of it,” I said, still combing, feeling like someone who’s been hypnotized into that one single motion.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver