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A survey of sleeping sickness in parts of Benue State, Nigeria
Abstract
A survey of sleeping sickness, scientifically called humanAfrican trypanosomiasis, aimed at case detection and treatment was
carried out in Gboko, Buruku, Gwer and Ushongo Local GovernmentAreas (LGAs) of Benue State, Nigeria in April 2009.A total of 820 individuals aged 2-87 years were clinically examined for palpable glands and screened for the presence of circulating anti-Trypanosoma brucei gambiense anti-bodies using the Card Agglutination Test for Trypanosomiasis (CATT) as a primary
screening test. In-depth interviews and focus group discussions were held with village leaders and selected community members to assess their knowledge, attitude and perception (KAP) about sleeping sickness. The clinical data showed two individuals with suggestive palpable glands which upon examination of the aspirates following gland punctures were
microscopically negative for trypanosomes. The CATT gave zero prevalence (0 %) indicating that the 820 individuals were negative. Qualitative data showed the rarity of sleeping sickness in the areas surveyed. It appears from our results that the parts of Benue State covered in the screening exercise are currently no longer endemic to sleeping sickness.We recommend more extensive population surveys taking cognisance of the remaining 19 LGAs in order to establish with certainty the current
situation of sleeping sickness in the entire State.
carried out in Gboko, Buruku, Gwer and Ushongo Local GovernmentAreas (LGAs) of Benue State, Nigeria in April 2009.A total of 820 individuals aged 2-87 years were clinically examined for palpable glands and screened for the presence of circulating anti-Trypanosoma brucei gambiense anti-bodies using the Card Agglutination Test for Trypanosomiasis (CATT) as a primary
screening test. In-depth interviews and focus group discussions were held with village leaders and selected community members to assess their knowledge, attitude and perception (KAP) about sleeping sickness. The clinical data showed two individuals with suggestive palpable glands which upon examination of the aspirates following gland punctures were
microscopically negative for trypanosomes. The CATT gave zero prevalence (0 %) indicating that the 820 individuals were negative. Qualitative data showed the rarity of sleeping sickness in the areas surveyed. It appears from our results that the parts of Benue State covered in the screening exercise are currently no longer endemic to sleeping sickness.We recommend more extensive population surveys taking cognisance of the remaining 19 LGAs in order to establish with certainty the current
situation of sleeping sickness in the entire State.
