Specificity of serological screening tests and reference laboratory tests to diagnose gambiense human African trypanosomiasis: a prospective clinical performance study.

Background: Serological screening tests play a crucial role to diagnose gambiense human African trypanosomiasis (gHAT). Presently, they preselect individuals for microscopic confirmation, but in future "screen and treat" strategies they will identify individuals for treatment. Variability in reported specificities, the development of new rapid diagnostic tests (RDT) and the hypothesis that malaria infection may decrease RDT specificity led us to evaluate the specificity of 5 gHAT screening tests.

Performance of diagnostic tests for Trypanosoma brucei brucei in experimentally infected pigs.

Animal African trypanosomosis is an important vector-borne disease of livestock in sub-Saharan Africa. Pigs seem relatively tolerant to trypanosome infection and could act as a reservoir of trypanosomes affecting animals and humans. Our ability to reliably detect trypanosome infection in pigs depends on the performance of diagnostic tools, which is not well known.

Performance of clinical signs and symptoms, rapid and reference laboratory diagnostic tests for diagnosis of human African trypanosomiasis by passive screening in Guinea: a prospective diagnostic accuracy study.

Background: Passive diagnosis of human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) at the health facility level is a major component of HAT control in Guinea. We examined which clinical signs and symptoms are associated with HAT, and assessed the performance of selected clinical presentations, of rapid diagnostic tests (RDT), and of reference laboratory tests on dried blood spots (DBS) for diagnosing HAT in Guinea.

Method: The study took place in 14 health facilities in Guinea, where 2345 clinical suspects were tested with RDTs (HAT Sero-K-Set, rHAT Sero-Strip, and SD Bioline HAT).

Experimental evidence that immune trypanolysis using the LiTat 1.3 and LiTat 1.5 variant antigen types is not specific to Trypanosoma brucei gambiense in pigs.

In the context of the human African trypanosomiasis elimination process, reliable and accurate diagnostic tools are crucial for exploring the role of a potential animal reservoir of Trypanosoma brucei gambiense. The immune trypanolysis test (TL) using the variant antigen types (VAT) LiTat 1.3 and LiTat 1.

Evaluation of antibody responses to tsetse fly saliva in domestic animals in the sleeping sickness endemic foci of Bonon and Sinfra, Côte d'Ivoire.

After intensive control efforts, human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) was declared eliminated in Côte d'Ivoire as a public health problem in December 2020 and the current objective is to achieve the interruption of the transmission (zero cases). Reaching this objective could be hindered by the existence of an animal reservoir of Trypanosoma (T.) brucei (b.

Molecular epidemiology of Animal African Trypanosomosis in southwest Burkina Faso.

Background: Animal African Trypanosomosis (AAT) is a parasitic disease of livestock that has a major socio-economic impact in the affected areas. It is caused by several species of uniflagellate extracellular protists of the genus Trypanosoma mainly transmitted by tsetse flies: T. congolense, T.

Polyphenolic Profile, Anti-Inflammatory and Anti-Nociceptive Activities of Some African Medicinal Plants.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the polyphenolic profile and the anti-inflammatory and anti-nociceptive activities of four traditionally used medicinal plants from Burkina Faso: Parkia biglobosa, Detarium microcarpum, Vitellaria paradoxa and Sclerocarya birrea. The analysis of the main phenolic compounds was performed by the HPLC-UV-MS method. The anti-inflammatory effect of the aqueous bark extracts was investigated by the λ-carrageenan-induced rat paw edema test.

Monitoring the elimination of gambiense human African trypanosomiasis in the historical focus of Batié, South-West Burkina Faso.

The World Health Organisation has targeted the elimination of human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) as zero transmission by 2030. Continued surveillance needs to be in place for early detection of re-emergent cases. In this context, the performance of diagnostic tests and testing algorithms for detection of the re-emergence of Trypanosoma brucei gambiense HAT remains to be assessed.

Passive surveillance of human African trypanosomiasis in Côte d'Ivoire: Understanding prevalence, clinical symptoms and signs, and diagnostic test characteristics.

Background: Little is known about the diagnostic performance of rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) for passive screening of human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) in Côte d'Ivoire. We determined HAT prevalence among clinical suspects, identified clinical symptoms and signs associated with HAT RDT positivity, and assessed the diagnostic tests' specificity, positive predictive value and agreement.

Methods: Clinical suspects were screened with SD Bioline HAT, HAT Sero-K-Set and rHAT Sero-Strip.

Analytical sensitivity of loopamp and quantitative real-time PCR on dried blood spots and their potential role in monitoring human African trypanosomiasis elimination.

The objective set by WHO to reach elimination of human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) as a public health problem by 2020 is being achieved. The next target is the interruption of gambiense-HAT transmission in humans by 2030. To monitor progress towards this target, in areas where specialized local HAT control capacities will disappear, is a major challenge.

Immune trypanolysis test as a promising bioassay to monitor the elimination of gambiense human African trypanosomiasis.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has set the goal of gambiense-Human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) elimination as a public health problem for 2020 and interruption of transmission in humans for 2030. In this context, it is crucial to monitor progress towards these targets using accurate tools to assess the level of transmission in a given area. The aim of this study was to investigate the relevance of the immune trypanolysis test (TL) as a population-based bioassay to evaluate Trypanosoma brucei gambiense transmission in various epidemiological contexts.

Macrophage migrating inhibitory factor expression is associated with Trypanosoma brucei gambiense infection and is controlled by trans-acting expression quantitative trait loci in the Guinean population.

Infection by Trypanosoma brucei gambiense is characterized by a wide array of clinical outcomes, ranging from asymptomatic to acute disease and even spontaneous cure. In this study, we investigated the association between macrophage migrating inhibitory factor (MIF), an important pro-inflammatory cytokine that plays a central role in both innate and acquired immunity, and disease outcome during T. b.

Description of the first sleeping sickness case diagnosed in Burkina Faso since two decades.

Burkina Faso belongs to a group of countries in which human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), caused by Trypanosoma brucei gambiense, is no longer considered to be a public health problem. Although no native cases have been detected since 1993, there is still the risk of HAT re-emergence due to significant population movements between Burkina Faso and active HAT foci in Côte d'Ivoire. Since 2014, Burkina Faso receives support from the WHO to implement a passive surveillance program.

Differences in pathogenicity and virulence of Trypanosoma brucei gambiense field isolates in experimentally infected Balb/C mice.

Trypanosoma brucei gambiense (T. b. gambiense) is the major causative agent of human African trypanosomiasis (HAT).

The study of trypanosome species circulating in domestic animals in two human African trypanosomiasis foci of Côte d'Ivoire identifies pigs and cattle as potential reservoirs of Trypanosoma brucei gambiense.

Background: Important control efforts have led to a significant reduction of the prevalence of human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) in Côte d'Ivoire, but the disease is still present in several foci. The existence of an animal reservoir of Trypanosoma brucei gambiense may explain disease persistence in these foci where animal breeding is an important source of income but where the prevalence of animal African trypanosomiasis (AAT) is unknown. The aim of this study was to identify the trypanosome species circulating in domestic animals in both Bonon and Sinfra HAT endemic foci.

Candidate gene polymorphisms study between human African trypanosomiasis clinical phenotypes in Guinea.

Background: Human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), a lethal disease induced by Trypanosoma brucei gambiense, has a range of clinical outcomes in its human host in West Africa: an acute form progressing rapidly to second stage, spontaneous self-cure and individuals able to regulate parasitaemia at very low levels, have all been reported from endemic foci. In order to test if this clinical diversity is influenced by host genetic determinants, the association between candidate gene polymorphisms and HAT outcome was investigated in populations from HAT active foci in Guinea.

Methodology And Results: Samples were collected from 425 individuals; comprising of 232 HAT cases, 79 subjects with long lasting positive and specific serology but negative parasitology and 114 endemic controls.

Trypanosome-induced Interferon-γ production in whole blood stimulation assays is associated with latent Trypanosoma brucei gambiense infections.

Control of human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) is highly dependent on the ability to detect and treat infected individuals. However, a number of individuals exposed to Trypanosoma brucei gambiense are able to control infection to undetectable levels in blood. They are long-term potential reservoirs and thus a threat for control strategies.

Population genomics reveals the origin and asexual evolution of human infective trypanosomes.

Evolutionary theory predicts that the lack of recombination and chromosomal re-assortment in strictly asexual organisms results in homologous chromosomes irreversibly accumulating mutations and thus evolving independently of each other, a phenomenon termed the Meselson effect. We apply a population genomics approach to examine this effect in an important human pathogen, Trypanosoma brucei gambiense. We determine that T.

Population Genetics and Reproductive Strategies of African Trypanosomes: Revisiting Available Published Data.

Trypanosomatidae are a dangerous family of Euglenobionta parasites that threaten the health and economy of millions of people around the world. More precisely describing the population biology and reproductive mode of such pests is not only a matter of pure science, but can also be useful for understanding parasite adaptation, as well as how parasitism, specialization (parasite specificity), and complex life cycles evolve over time. Studying this parasite's reproductive strategies and population structure can also contribute key information to the understanding of the epidemiology of associated diseases; it can also provide clues for elaborating control programs and predicting the probability of success for control campaigns (such as vaccines and drug therapies), along with emergence or re-emergence risks.

Trypanosoma brucei gambiense Spliced Leader RNA Is a More Specific Marker for Cure of Human African Trypanosomiasis Than T. b. gambiense DNA.

To assess the efficacy of treatment for human African trypanosomiasis, accurate tests that can discriminate relapse from cure are needed. We report the first data that the spliced leader (SL) RNA is a more specific marker for cure of human African trypanosomiasis than parasite DNA. In blood samples obtained from 61 patients in whom human African trypanosomiasis was cured, SL RNA detection had specificities of 98.