Sleep disease is a deadly disease that affects 60,000 people in Africa every year. Now, a scientist in Scotland says they may have discovered a new treatment method.

Sleeping sickness spreads due to the bite of the tsetse fly. This fly can transmit parasites that infect the human central nervous system. Initially the infection causes fever, headache, itching on the skin and weakness.

Then the parasite enters the brain and causes more serious problems. Patients will feel convulsions and have difficulty thinking, and sleep longer. If the disease is not treated, the victim usually never gets up from sleep, and dies

Paul Wyatt of the Discovery Medicine program for Tropical Diseases at the University of Dundee, Scotland, led the study of this disease. He said research found weaknesses in the parasite. This weakness is an enzyme called M-myristoyl Transferase or NMT which is needed by parasites to live.