sleeping sickness

noun

1
: a serious disease that is prevalent in much of tropical Africa, is marked by fever, headache, lethargy, confusion, and sleep disturbances, and is caused by either of two trypanosomes (Trypanosoma brucei gambiense and T. b. rhodesiense) transmitted by tsetse flies
2
: any of various viral encephalitides or encephalomyelitides of which lethargy or somnolence is a prominent feature

Examples of sleeping sickness in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web But the students’ professor, the late Raymond Hamers, happened to be studying sleeping sickness in large animals. Christina Szalinski, Discover Magazine, 22 Feb. 2023 In the parts of sub-Saharan Africa most prone to sleeping sickness, this genetic trade-off could be worthwhile. Jerome Groopman, The New Yorker, 5 Dec. 2022 The team hopes the new device will become standard lab equipment soon, allowing scientists to listen to the movement of bacteria such as E. coli as well as microorganisms that cause diseases like sleeping sickness [The Daily Beast]. Smriti Rao, Discover Magazine, 2 Mar. 2010 Tsetse flies are biting insects that can spread a parasitic organism that causes human sleeping sickness. Christina Szalinski, Discover Magazine, 24 June 2021 Transmitted by the tsetse fly, sleeping sickness is endemic in 36 sub-Saharan African countries and is almost always fatal if untreated. Allessandra Dicorato, STAT, 21 Nov. 2022 In Africa, those who have two specific variants of the gene gain some protection against sleeping sickness, which is caused by an environmental parasite. Jeff Wheelwright, Discover Magazine, 7 Oct. 2016 Another example is the parasite Trypanosoma brucei, which causes the disease African trypanosomiasis, commonly known as sleeping sickness. Jerome Groopman, The New Yorker, 5 Dec. 2022 The story, set in Khon Kaen, follows Jen (Jenjira Pongpas Widner), a volunteer at a clinic where a group of soldiers have come down with a strange sleeping sickness. The New Yorker, 10 Jan. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sleeping sickness.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1875, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of sleeping sickness was in 1875

Dictionary Entries Near sleeping sickness

Cite this Entry

“Sleeping sickness.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sleeping%20sickness. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

sleeping sickness

noun
1
: a serious disease found in tropical Africa that is characterized by fever, headache, sleepiness, and confusion and is passed on by tsetse flies
2
: any of various virus diseases in which sleepiness is a major symptom

Medical Definition

sleeping sickness

noun
1
: a serious disease that is prevalent in much of tropical Africa, is marked by fever, headache, protracted lethargy, confusion, sleep disturbances, tremors, and loss of weight, is caused by either of two trypanosomes (Trypanosoma brucei gambiense and T. b. rhodesiense), and is transmitted by tsetse flies

called also African sleeping sickness

2
: any of various viral encephalitides or encephalomyelitides of which lethargy or somnolence is a prominent feature

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