High prevalence of Trypanosoma brucei gambiense group 1 in pigs from the Fontem sleeping sickness focus in Cameroon

• Published in: Veterinary parasitology Vol. 139; no. 1; pp. 57 - 66
• Main Authors: Simo, G., Asonganyi, T., Nkinin, S.W., Njiokou, F., Herder, S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 30.06.2006
• Subjects: African trypanosomiasis; Animals; Cameroon; Cameroon - epidemiology; disease detection; disease prevalence; disease reservoirs; Disease Reservoirs - veterinary; DNA, Protozoan - analysis; Domestic pig; epidemiological studies; Female; Humans; Male; mixed infection; pathogen identification; PCR; polymerase chain reaction; Polymerase Chain Reaction - methods; Polymerase Chain Reaction - veterinary; Prevalence; Reservoir host; Swine; Swine Diseases - diagnosis; Swine Diseases - epidemiology; Swine Diseases - transmission; Trypanosoma; Trypanosoma - classification; Trypanosoma - isolation & purification; Trypanosoma brucei gambiense; Trypanosoma brucei gambiense - classification; Trypanosoma brucei gambiense - isolation & purification; Trypanosoma gambiense; Trypanosoma vivax; Trypanosomes; Trypanosomiasis, African - diagnosis; Trypanosomiasis, African - epidemiology; Trypanosomiasis, African - transmission; Trypanosomiasis, African - veterinary; Zoonoses; Zoonosis; Cameroon; Trypanosomes; Reservoir host; Cameroon; Zoonosis; Domestic pig; PCR
• ISSN: 0304-4017; 1873-2550
• DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2006.02.026

To understand the importance of domestic pigs in the epidemiology of human trypanosomiasis, PCR was used to identify trypanosome populations in 133 pigs from the Fontem sleeping sickness focus of Cameroon. The results from this study show that 73.7% (98/133) of pigs from the Fontem area carry at least one trypanosome species. Trypanosoma vivax, T. brucei s.l. and T. congolense forest were found in 34.6% (46/133), 40.0% (53/133) and 46.0% (61/133) of the pigs respectively. T. simiae and T. congolense savannah were not identified in these animals. The use of repeated DNA sequences detected T. b. gambiense group 1 in 14.8% (15/101) of the pigs. Such pigs can be possible reservoir hosts for T. b. gambiense group 1 and contribute to the maintenance of the disease in the area. Mixed infections were revealed in 35.3% (47/133) of the pigs. Furthermore, we observed that under natural conditions, 52.4% (11/21) of the pigs from the Fontem focus carry mixed infections with T. b. gambiense group 1. No significant difference was observed between the percentage of T. b. gambiense group 1 single and mixed infections, and between the prevalence of this trypanosome in pigs from villages with and without sleeping sickness patients.