African Sleeping Sickness

Tropical disease that flips day and night, then ends in fatal coma. Trypanosoma brucei with VSG antigenic variation, Winterbottom's sign, CNS invasion.

Key facts

Did you know?

Trypanosoma brucei uses antigenic variation: it constantly swaps its surface coat glycoprotein (VSG) from a repertoire of over a thousand genes, so by the time your antibodies catch up to one version, the parasite is already wearing the next — producing the characteristic waves of parasitemia and defeating every vaccine attempt. It dedicates roughly 10% of its entire genome just to this wardrobe of disguises, a staggering evolutionary investment in one trick.

Next: Amebiasis

Plagdle is an educational game and not medical advice.

Play Plagdle · Disease library · How to play · About · Privacy · Terms