The epidemiology of Trypanosoma rhodesiense sleeping sickness in alego location, Central Nyanza, Kenya I. Evidence that cattle may act as reservoir hosts of trypanosomes infective to man

Abstract

During the study of an epidemic of T. rhodesiense in Alego Location in 1964, 43 isolates of T. brucei subgroup organisms were obtained from a sample of 203 cattle. 2 of these isolates were inoculated into human volunteers and one produced an infection characteristic of T. rhodesiense, thus revealing the fact that cattle were acting as reservoir hosts for the trypanosomes. It is concluded that in an outbreak of sleeping sickness domestic cattle can act as natural reservoir hosts and therefore their mass treatment is strongly recommended during a control programme.