| gambia | A republic in western africa, constituting an enclave within senegal extending on both sides of the gambia river. Its capital is banjul, formerly bathurst. The mouth of the river was discovered in 1455 by the portuguese and the english ascended the river 1618-19. The british claim to the region was recognised by the treaty of versailles in 1783. Its status under the british and sierra leone changed several times from 1807 until 1965 when it became independent. The country is named for the river and is a portuguese corruption of the native name ba-dimma, meaning river. (12 Dec 1998) |
|---|---|
| Gambian fever | An irregular relapsing fever, lasting one to four days with intermissions of two to five days, marked by enlargement of the spleen, rapid pulse, and breathing; due to the presence in the blood of Trypanosoma brucei gambiense, the pathogenic microorganism of Gambian or West African sleeping sickness. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Gambian trypanosomiasis | A chronic disease of humans caused by Trypanosoma brucei gambiense in northern and sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal east to Sudan and Uganda; characterised by splenomegaly, drowsiness, an uncontrollable urge to sleep, and the development of psychotic changes; basal ganglia and cerebellar involvement commonly lead to chorea and athetosis; the terminal phase of the disease is characterised by wasting, anorexia, and emaciation that gradually leads to coma and death, usually from intercurrent infection. Synonym: chronic African sleeping sickness, chronic trypanosomiasis, West African sleeping sickness, West African trypanosomiasis. (05 Mar 2000) |