Quality, supply chain, and use of Trypanocidal drugs among camel keepers in north-eastern Kenya: A cross-sectional study.

The non-cyclic trypanosomiasis (surra), caused by Trypanosoma evansi, and mechanically transmitted by biting flies, hinders camel productivity in Kenya. Trypanocides are the most commonly used drugs to control surra. However, emergence of drug resistance by the parasites is a major limitation to control efforts.

Putative bloodmeal sources in Glossina austeni tsetse fly of Arabuko Sokoke National Reserve in Kenya.

Tsetse flies, the sole biological vectors of trypanosomiasis, are predominantly controlled using visual traps and targets baited with attractant lures. Formulation of the lures is informed by compositions of odors from vertebrate hosts preferred by specific tsetse species. However, there are no effective lures for Glossina austeni, a major vector of trypanosomiasis along eastern-coastal region of Africa.

Bloodmeal host identities among sympatric and tsetse flies in Shimba Hills National Reserve, Kwale, Kenya.

Odor from preferred/non-preferred tsetse fly vertebrate hosts have been exploited in R&D of attractants/repellents of the fly for human and livestock protection. Odors from vertebrate hosts of and tsetse flies can facilitate formulation of novel attractants effective against or improvement of existing attractant blends for We compared vertebrate blood meal sources of both fly species at Shimba Hills National Reserve, Kenya, to establish putative preferred host of either species, hence potential source of or specific odors. We trapped sympatric adult flies in 2021 and 2022 using NGU traps/sticky panels baited with POCA, collected their blood meals and characterize the meals using HRM vertebrate 16S rRNA- PCR (for host identification), and compared host profiles using GLM and Fisher's exact tests.

Perspectives on Odor-Based Control of Tsetse Flies in Africa.

Tsetse-transmitted trypanosomiases are among the most neglected tropical diseases in sub-Sahara Africa. Although all tsetse species are susceptible to trypanosome infections, their differential attraction/feeding preferences for different wildlife, domestic animals, and/or humans constitute critical determinants of trypanosomes species they predominantly transmit. Artificial bait technologies, based on long-range tsetse olfactory responses to natural cues emitted by preferred hosts and blends of synthetic versions that mimic these cues, have successfully been applied in attractant-odor-based ("pull" tactic) reduction of field populations of some tsetse species.

Physiological and proteomic profiles of Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense parasite isolated from suramin responsive and non-responsive HAT patients in Busoga, Uganda.

Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT) is a disease of major economic importance in Sub-Saharan Africa. The HAT is caused by Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense (Tbr) parasite in eastern and southern Africa, with suramin as drug of choice for treatment of early stage of the disease. Suramin treatment failures has been observed among HAT patients in Tbr foci in Uganda.

Transcriptomic response of Anopheles gambiae sensu stricto mosquito larvae to Curry tree (Murraya koenigii) phytochemicals.

Background: Insect growth regulators (IGRs) can control insect vector populations by disrupting growth and development in juvenile stages of the vectors. We previously identified and described the curry tree (Murraya koenigii (L.) Spreng) phytochemical leaf extract composition (neplanocin A, 3-(1-naphthyl)-L-alanine, lumiflavine, terezine C, agelaspongin and murrayazolinol), which disrupted growth and development in Anopheles gambiae sensu stricto mosquito larvae by inducing morphogenetic abnormalities, reducing locomotion and delaying pupation in the mosquito.

Expansions of chemosensory gene orthologs among selected tsetse fly species and their expressions in Glossina morsitans morsitans tsetse fly.

Tsetse fly exhibit species-specific olfactory uniqueness potentially underpinned by differences in their chemosensory protein repertoire. We assessed 1) expansions of chemosensory protein orthologs in Glossina morsitans morsitans, Glossina pallidipes, Glossina austeni, Glossina palpalis gambiensis, Glossina fuscipes fuscipes and Glossina brevipalpis tsetse fly species using Café analysis (to identify species-specific expansions) and 2) differential expressions of the orthologs and associated proteins in male G. m.

Changes in genotypes of Plasmodium falciparum human malaria parasite following withdrawal of chloroquine in Tiwi, Kenya.

Chloroquine (CQ) drug was withdrawn in 1998 as a first-line treatment of uncomplicated malaria in Kenya. This was in response to resistance to the drug in Plasmodium falciparum malaria parasite. Investigations were conducted to determine prevalence of CQ resistance genotypes in the parasites in Tiwi, a malaria endemic town in Kenya, before and about a decade after the withdrawal of the drug.