Factors Associated with Acquisition of Human Infective and Animal Infective Trypanosome Infections in Domestic Livestock in Western Kenya
Abstract
Rhodesian sleeping sickness caused by Trypanosome brucei rhodesiense is a parasitic disease transmitted by tsetse flies which is fatal in humans if it is not treated. The parasites also infect a range of animal species in which they do not cause acute disease and may co-exist with other non human infective parasites. Busia District (Western Kenya) is a historic sleeping sickness focus. Human cases of this disease are still reported occasionally in Busia and neighbouring Teso District, most recently in 2008, showing that the human infective parasite species are still present in the area. However, trypanosomes in this region are mainly regarded as a threat to the productivity of domestic livestock and the responsibility for trypanosomiasis control has shifted from the state to livestock holders. To examine whether farmer-based control strategies can be successful, this study assessed the factors that influence trypanosomiasis in livestock at the local level.
The study showed that cattle are the livestock species most frequently affected by trypanosomes. However infection in cattle was not necessarily associated with signs of disease; furthermore pigs were shown to be important carriers of the human infective parasite. The treatment of only visibly diseased cattle to avoid losses in productivity will not successfully control the parasite in the long term. Keeping livestock in the vicinity of the homesteads also did not protect the animals from trypanosome infection. This indicated that the tsetse fly transmits the parasite in close proximity to human habitation, which could increase the risk of humans being infected.
Citation
von Wissmann, B.; Machila, N.; Picozzi, K.; Fevre, E.M.; Bronsvoort, M. de C.; Handel, I.G.; Welburn, S.C. Factors Associated with Acquisition of Human Infective and Animal Infective Trypanosome Infections in Domestic Livestock in Western Kenya. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases (2011) 5 (1) e941. [DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0000941]