nagana

na·ga·na also n'ga·na   (nə-gä'nə)    n.  An often fatal disease of African ungulates caused by various species of trypanosomes and transmitted by the bite of the tsetse fly. Also called tsetse disease. [Zulu -nakane.]

Main Entry: na·ga·na
Variant: also n'ga·na /n&-'gä-n&/
Function: noun
: a highly fatal disease ofdomestic animals in tropical Africa caused by a flagellated protozoan of the genus Trypanosoma and transmitted by tsetse and other biting flies; broadly : trypanosomiasis ofdomestic animals

nagana

a form of the disease trypanosomiasis (q.v.), occurring chiefly in cattle and horses and caused by several species of the protozoan Trypanosoma. The disease, which occurs in southern and central Africa, is carried from animal to animal chiefly by tsetse flies. Signs of infection include fever, muscular wasting, anemia, and swelling of tissues (edema). There is discharge from eyes and nose. First the hindlegs and then other parts of the body become paralyzed. The spleen, lymph nodes, and liver become enlarged, and the spinal cord is affected.

Learn more about nagana with a free trial on Britannica.com.