[Towards elimination of human African trypanosomiasis].

Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT) is caused by which is transmitted by the tsetse fly insect vector ( spp). It is one of the 20 Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) listed by the WHO. These diseases affect the poorest and most vulnerable communities, for which the WHO has established a dedicated 2021-2030 roadmap.

Accelerating elimination of sleeping sickness from the Guinean littoral through enhanced screening in the post-Ebola context: A retrospective analysis.

Background: Activities to control human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) in Guinea were severely hampered by the Ebola epidemic that hit this country between 2014 and 2016. Active screening was completely interrupted and passive screening could only be maintained in a few health facilities. At the end of the epidemic, medical interventions were progressively intensified to mitigate the risk of HAT resurgence and progress towards disease elimination.

Developing and quality testing of microsatellite loci for four species of Glossina.

Microsatellite loci still represent valuable resources for the study of the population biology of non-model organisms. Discovering or adapting new suitable microsatellite markers in species of interest still represents a useful task, especially so for non-model organisms as tsetse flies (genus Glossina), which remain a serious threat to the health of humans and animals in sub-Saharan Africa. In this paper, we present the development of new microsatellite loci for four species of Glossina: two from the Morsitans group, G.

Sleeping sickness in the historical focus of forested Guinea: update using a geographically based method.

In 2017, 1447 new cases of Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT) were reported, which reflects considerable progress towards the World Health Organisation's target of eliminating HAT as a public health problem by 2020. However, current epidemiological data are still lacking for a number of areas, including historical HAT foci. In order to update the HAT situation in the historical focus of forested Guinea, we implemented a geographically based methodology: Identification of Villages at Risk (IVR).

Reducing Human-Tsetse Contact Significantly Enhances the Efficacy of Sleeping Sickness Active Screening Campaigns: A Promising Result in the Context of Elimination.

Background: Control of gambiense sleeping sickness, a neglected tropical disease targeted for elimination by 2020, relies mainly on mass screening of populations at risk and treatment of cases. This strategy is however challenged by the existence of undetected reservoirs of parasites that contribute to the maintenance of transmission. In this study, performed in the Boffa disease focus of Guinea, we evaluated the value of adding vector control to medical surveys and measured its impact on disease burden.

Baited-boats: an innovative way to control riverine tsetse, vectors of sleeping sickness in West Africa.

Background: Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT) is an important neglected tropical disease caused by Trypanosoma spp. parasites transmitted by species of tsetse fly (Glossina spp). The most important vectors of HAT are riverine tsetse and these can be controlled by attracting them to stationary baits such as insecticide-impregnated traps or targets deployed along the banks of rivers.

Progress towards the eradication of Tsetse from the Loos islands, Guinea.

Background: The tsetse fly Glossina palpalis gambiensis is the main vector of sleeping sickness (Human African Trypanosomiasis - HAT) in West Africa, in particular in littoral Guinea where this disease is currently very active. The Loos islands constitute a small archipelago some 5 km from mainland Guinea, where G. p.

The population structure of Glossina palpalis gambiensis from island and continental locations in Coastal Guinea.

Background: We undertook a population genetics analysis of the tsetse fly Glossina palpalis gambiensis, a major vector of sleeping sickness in West Africa, using microsatellite and mitochondrial DNA markers. Our aims were to estimate effective population size and the degree of isolation between coastal sites on the mainland of Guinea and Loos Islands. The sampling locations encompassed Dubréka, the area with the highest Human African Trypanosomosis (HAT) prevalence in West Africa, mangrove and savannah sites on the mainland, and two islands, Fotoba and Kassa, within the Loos archipelago.

Genetic and morphometric evidence for population isolation of Glossina palpalis gambiensis (Diptera: Glossinidae) on the Loos islands, Guinea.

Allele frequencies at four microsatellite loci, and morphometric features based on 11 wing landmarks, were compared among three populations of Glossina palpalis gambiensis (Diptera: Glossinidae) in Guinea. One population originated from the Loos islands separated from the capital Conakry by 5 km of sea, and the two others originated from the continental mangrove area close to Dubreka, these two groups being separated by approximately 30 km. Microsatellites and wing geometry data both converged to the idea of a separation of the Loos island population from those of the mangrove area.