Do cryptic reservoirs threaten gambiense-sleeping sickness elimination?

Büscher, P. et al. (2018) Do cryptic reservoirs threaten gambiense-sleeping sickness elimination? Trends in Parasitology, 34(3), pp. 197-207. (doi: 10.1016/j.pt.2017.11.008) (PMID:29396200) (PMCID:PMC5840517)

Abstract

Trypanosoma brucei gambiense causes human African trypanosomiasis (HAT). Between 1990 and 2015, almost 440000 cases were reported. Large-scale screening of populations at risk, drug donations, and efforts by national and international stakeholders have brought the epidemic under control with <2200 cases in 2016. The World Health Organization (WHO) has set the goals of gambiense-HAT elimination as a public health problem for 2020, and of interruption of transmission to humans for 2030. Latent human infections and possible animal reservoirs may challenge these goals. It remains largely unknown whether, and to what extend, they have an impact on gambiense-HAT transmission. We argue that a better understanding of the contribution of human and putative animal reservoirs to gambiense-HAT epidemiology is mandatory to inform elimination strategies.

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: This work was supported by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (OPP1150674). KSR gratefully acknowledges funding of the NTD Modelling Consortium by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in partnership with the Task Force for Global Health under grant number OPP1053230. AML, BB, EM, GS, HI, MK, VJ, and VL are supported by TrypanoGen funded by the Wellcome Trust (grant number 099310/Z/12/Z). NC acknowledges funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation under grant OPP1156227. LMF is funded by Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia (IF/01050/2014). FAO contribution to this study was provided in the framework of the Programme against African Trypanosomosis (PAAT), and supported by the Government of Italy (FAO Project ‘Improving food security in sub-Saharan Africa by supporting the progressive reduction of tsetse-transmitted trypanosomosis in the framework of the NEPAD’, codes GTFS/RAF/474/ITA and GCP/RAF/502/ITA).
• Keywords: Trypanosoma brucei gambiense, elimination, human African trypanosomiasis, reservoir, sleeping sickness, transmission.
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: MacLeod, Professor Annette
• Authors: Büscher, P., Bart, J.-M., Boelaert, M., Bucheton, B., Cecchi, G., Chitnis, N., Courtin, D., Figueiredo, L. M., Franco, J.-R., Grébaut, P., Hasker, E., Ilboudo, H., Jamonneau, V., Koffi, M., Lejon, V., MacLeod, A., Masumu, J., Matovu, E., Mattioli, R., Noyes, H., Picado, A., Rock, K. S., Rotureau, B., Simo, G., Thévenon, S., Trindade, S., Truc, P., and Van Reet, N.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Biodiversity, One Health & Veterinary Medicine
• Journal Name: Trends in Parasitology
• Publisher: Elsevier (Cell Press)
• ISSN: 1471-4922
• ISSN (Online): 1471-5007
• Published Online: 23 January 2018
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2018 The Authors
• First Published: First published in Trends in Parasitology 34(3): 197-207
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons License