The unknown risk of vertical transmission in sleeping sickness--a literature review.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Children with human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) present with a range of generally non-specific symptoms. Late diagnosis is frequent with often tragic outcomes. Trypanosomes can infect the foetus by crossing the placenta. Unequivocal cases of congenital infection that have been reported include newborn babies of infected mothers who were diagnosed with HAT in the first 5 days of life and children of infected mothers who had never entered an endemic country themselves.

Methods

This review systematically summarizes the literature on the vertical transmission of HAT, to our knowledge for the first time. To approach the broader aspects of the subject, articles considering the epidemiology of childhood HAT and HAT in pregnancy were also included. The HAT guidelines an

SUBMITTER: Lindner AK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3006128 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature