African trypanosomiasis is one of a diverse range of neglected tropical diseases. The tsetse fly, Glossina sp. is the main vector for trypanosomes, the parasites that cause trypanosomiasis. This disease affects both humans and livestock.

Who discovered the tsetse fly?

It was the German military surgeon Friedrich Karl Kleine (1869–1951) who showed in 1909 the cyclical transmission of T. brucei in tsetse flies [21].

What is the vector that spreads sleeping sickness?

African Trypanosomiasis, also known as “sleeping sickness”, is caused by microscopic parasites of the species Trypanosoma brucei. It is transmitted by the tsetse fly (Glossina species), which is found only in sub-Saharan Africa.