After a trip to Zimbabwe, African trypanosomiasis was diagnosed in a traveler in Vienna. The patient is hospitalized and under treatment.

African trypanosomiasis, also called sleeping sickness, is endemic in many Subsaharan countries (see map).

It is transmitted by Tsetse flies. These flies are mainly attracted by bright, dark (especially blue) colours. They inhabit rural areas, including forests and savannah areas, and areas of thick vegetation along rivers and waterholes, depending on the fly species. Tsetse flies bite during the day, <1% are infected. Risk for infection in travelers increases with the number of fly bites, which does not always correlate with duration of travel. People most likely to be exposed to African trypanosomiasis infection are hunters and villagers with infected cattle herds. Tourists and other people working in or visiting game parks are at risk for contracting African trypanosomiasis if they spend long periods in rural areas where the disease is present. Travelers to urban areas are at minimal risk, although transmission has been observed in some urban settings in the past.

For details, see WHO Factsheet.