Red blood cells' auto-agglutination as an indicator test in human trypanosomiasis.

Spontaneous red blood cells' auto-agglutination was assessed as an indicator for the diagnosis of human African trypanosomiasis. This test is easily carried out by health workers with minimum qualification. It presents a high sensitivity (0.

The epidemiological importance of the animal reservoir of Trypanosoma brucei gambiense in the Congo. 2. Characterization of the Trypanosoma brucei complex.

Biological and biochemical characterization of 36 human and 5 animal congolese stocks of Trypanosoma brucei were performed. One human and all the animal stocks showed a quick adaptation to rodent host whereas the other 35 human stocks were characterized by a low virulence degree (Group 1 of T. gambiense).

[The use of sentinel animals for the evaluation of the control of vectors of sleeping sickness: preliminary reports at a Congolese site].

A large-scale control trial against Glossina palpalis palpalis was carried out in the Congo using a new trapping technique. In the same way a test related to the experimental utilization of sentinel animals was performed, concurrently to the classical epidemiological and entomological evaluation. 564 domestic animals (pigs, sheep, goats) were examined parasitologically (wet blood films, Woo/HCT) and serologically (Testryps CATT) in six villages.

[Endocrine function and African trypanosomiasis. Evaluation of 79 cases].

Although the high frequency of hypogonadism was found during the sleeping sickness, the physiological properties of the gonads have been poorly studied. We reported here the exploration of the gonadotropic axis in 79 patients infected by Trypanosoma brucei gambiense. It has been noted a decrease in oestradiol for 50% of women, in testosterone levels for 50% of men whereas no decrease of pituitary gonadotropins (FSH and LH) was found.