Identification of human-infective trypanosomes in animal reservoir of sleeping sickness in Uganda by means of serum-resistance-associated (SRA) gene

The expansion of sleeping sickness caused by Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense beyond its traditional focus in southeast Uganda has been linked with large-scale livestock restocking. To assess the risk presented to the human population by domestic livestock, human-infective T b rhodesiense must be distinguished from non-human-infective T brucei brucei, since both parasites can be present in cattle. Investigated the use of a simple genetic market to characterise parasites collected from cattle in villages within the new sleeping sickness focus in Soroti District. Concludes that detection of the SRA gene could provide the basis for a simple diagnostic test to enable targeted control of T b rhodesiense in the domestic livestock reservoir. (Original abstract - amended)