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Ask The Travel Doctor-TMVC

Q: Hi, I travelled to Africa in November this year and got bitten by a tsetse fly in Tanzania in Lake Manyara. It was only one bite and the bite location did not swell up. Is there a blood test to determine if I have been infected? Do you recommend I get any tests? Should I wait and see if I get any symptoms?

Melissa

 

A:  As you know, tsetse fly bites can transmit the disease trypanosomiasis, also known as African sleeping sickness. In Tanzania, the eastern form causes a rapid severe disease , usually within 2-3 weeks, of fever, headache, and weakness. There is usually a mark or lesion at the site of the bite. Later stages are characterised by drowsiness and coma. While simple blood tests can provide clues, the specific blood test is not perfect, and the diagnosis is usually confirmed by seeing the parasite in tissue samples. Luckily it is unusual in travelers, so unless you are developing symptoms, you do not really need to worry about a single bite. If you have a fever-illness, you should consult your closest Travel Doctor clinic where we specialise in screening for exotic disease.

Dr Tony

 

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