Trypanosomiasis / Sleeping sickness - Prevention

Prevention

• In the absence of a vaccine or drug to prevent African Trypanosomiasis, prevention measures stress the importance of adequate protection against the bites of the tsetse fly and other insects by covering with clothes to insulate people from such bites.
• Bed nets are proven to offer protection against the bites of these potentially lethal insects.

• Using insecticides and clearing shrubbery helps in disturbing the breeding of these flies.
• Improving housing, sanitation and clearing the undergrowth has helped cut the numbers of flies. This has also resulted in a reduction in the rate of infection.
• Any means to avoid the bite of the Tsetse fly is worthwhile. In that respect, driving around in open vehicles is a bad idea as flies swarm towards kicked up vehicular dust.
• Clearing the air off these flies and insects before entering the vehicle may be a good way to avoid getting bitten on a drive.
• Stay away from bushes; they are hotspots for Tsetse flies and insects. Any movement into the bushes during the hot times in a day attract the flies, more so if one is wearing dark or bright colors. Olive colored clothing might be the best bet.
• Timely and regular screening of blood helps prevent the spread of infection which could occur through transfusion of blood.