Abstract

Sub-Saharan countries are facing a demographic growth of 3% per year. That increase of the population in number, associated with climate changes, has deeply modified environmental landscape and affected biodiversity. The distribution of tsetse flies or Glossina, vector of sleeping sickness, has been considerably modified over time. Species of morsitans group (Glossina subgenus) had disappeared from some areas, while those of palpalis group (Nemorhina subgenus) developed and adaptation in Human habitats with peridomestic behaviors. The great capacity of these species to adapt in suburban and urban areas as soon as microclimatic conditions and host availability are met has brought up a new epidemiological context of the disease: suburban and urban foci. We are reviewing that epidemiological feature in order to draw attention to that particular aspect which may impede the progress of disease elimination in sight in many T. b. gambiense sleeping sickness foci.

Keywords: Vector-borne disease; Human African trypanosomiasis; Trypanosoma brucei; Demographic growth; Urbanization; Glossina foci