The 10 Most Common Parasitic Infections

5. African trypanosomiasis

African trypanosomiasis, more commonly referred to as sleeping sickness, affects around 300,000 people in sub-Saharan Africa each year. The bite of a tsetse fly carrying Trypanosoma brucei protozoa transmits the infection, which first presents with relatively minor symptoms, including fever, headaches, and joint pain. Upon infection of the central nervous system, individuals begin to experience neurological and sleep disturbances. Untreated, African trypanosomiasis can be fatal.