RESUMEN
The problem of sleeping sickness in the Sudan and its effect on the human population is a big worry to those working in the health care service. These facts directed the present work to estimate of the prevalence of Sleeping Sickness in prison inmates and displaced people of different age and sex groups in Khartoum state, and to evaluate and compare serological techniques versus parasitological methods in the effective diagnosis of the infection. A total of 365 individuals have been screened, during the period of August 1999 to February 2000 for sleeping sickness using serological technique [CATT = Card Agglutination Test for Trypanosomiasis] and conventional parasitological technique [3% Giemsa Stain]. Direct agglutination serology was further investigated by a serial dilution of the serum using the CATT buffer [phosphate buffered saline solution, pH 7.2]. A total of 365 patients were screened 154 were prison inmates in the four major prisons in Khartoum State. Out of the 365 screened individuals, 102 were positive by the conventional direct smear. The study has shown that prevalence of Sleeping sickness is 32% and 26% among men and women, respectively. The prevalence of the disease among different age groups in the four camps showed that it was high among people of the ages 15-45 years [38 positive cases], and low in people of the ages 1-14 years [2 positive cases]