Implicating roles of animal reservoir hosts in the resurgence of Gambian trypanosomosis (Sleeping Sickness)

Abstract

Gambian trypanosomosis (Sleeping Sickness) is a complex and debilitating disease of man. For many years the disease has been ravaging in several parts of sub-saharan Africa despite decades of therapeutic control. Although animal reservoir hosts are believed to be associated with the disease, not much evidences have been established to prove the true existence of animal reservoir hosts for Trypanosoma brucei gambiense and the zoonotic nature of Gambian Sleeping Sickness. This paper reviews recent evidences based on molecular and other biotechnologies leading to the identification of mammalian hosts as reservoirs of T. b. gambiense and the roles of such hosts in transmission and resurgence of sleeping sickness in sub-Saharan Africa.

African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 4 (2), pp. 134-137, 2005