Abstract:

We carried out a baseline survey of cattle in Kaberamaido district, in the context of controlling
the domestic animal reservoir of Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense human African trypanosomiasis
(rHAT) towards elimination. Cattle blood was subjected to capillary tube centrifugation followed
by measurement of the packed cell volume (PCV) and examination of the buffy coat area for motile
trypanosomes. Trypanosomes were detected in 561 (21.4%) out of 2621 cattle screened by microscopy.
These 561 in addition to 724 apparently trypanosome negative samples with low PCVs (=25%) were
transported to the laboratory and tested by PCR targeting the trypanosome Internal Transcribed
Spacer (ITS-1) as well as suspect Tick-Borne Diseases (TBDs) including Anaplasmamosis, Babesiosis,
and Theileriosis. PCR for Ana plasma sp yielded the highest number of positive animals (45.2%),
followed by Trypanosoma sp (44%), Theileriid sp (42.4%) and Babesia (26.3%); multiple infections were
a common occurrence. Interestingly, 373 (29%) of these cattle with low PCVs were negative by
PCR, pointing to other possible causes of anaemia, such as helminthiasis. Among the trypanosome
infections classified as T. brucei by ITS-PCR, 5.5% were positive by SRA PCR, and were, therefore,
confirmed as T. b. rhodesiense. Efforts against HAT should therefore consider packages that address
a range of conditions. This may enhance acceptability and participation of livestock keepers in
programs toe laminate this important but neglected tropical disease. In addition, we demonstrated that
cattle remain an eminent reservoir for T. b. rhodesiense in eastern Uganda, which must be addressed to
sustain HAT elimination.