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Molecular epidemiology of African sleeping sickness

Hide, G; Tait, A

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Authors

A Tait



Abstract

Human sleeping sickness in Africa, caused by Trypanosoma brucei spp. raises a number of questions. Despite the widespread distribution of the tsetse vectors and animal trypanosomiasis, human disease is only found in discrete foci which periodically give rise to epidemics followed by periods of endemicity A key to unravelling this puzzle is a detailed knowledge of the aetiological agents responsible for different patterns of disease--knowledge that is difficult to achieve using traditional microscopy. The science of molecular epidemiology has developed a range of tools which have enabled us to accurately identify taxonomic groups at all levels (species, subspecies, populations, strains and isolates). Using these tools, we can now investigate the genetic interactions within and between populations of Trypanosoma brucei and gain an understanding of the distinction between human- and nonhuman-infective subspecies. In this review, we discuss the development of these tools, their advantages and disadvantages and describe how they have been used to understand parasite genetic diversity, the origin of epidemics, the role of reservoir hosts and the population structure. Using the specific case of T.b. rhodesiense in Uganda, we illustrate how molecular epidemiology has enabled us to construct a more detailed understanding of the origins, generation and dynamics of sleeping sickness epidemics.

Citation

Hide, G., & Tait, A. (2009). Molecular epidemiology of African sleeping sickness. Parasitology, 136(12), 1491-500. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0031182009990333

Journal Article Type Article
Publication Date Oct 1, 2009
Deposit Date Oct 11, 2010
Publicly Available Date Apr 5, 2016
Journal Parasitology
Print ISSN 0031-1820
Publisher Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 136
Issue 12
Pages 1491-500
DOI https://doi.org/10.1017/S0031182009990333
Keywords African trypanosomiasis; Trypanosoma brucei; sleeping sickness; molecular epidemiology; epidemics; microsatellites; genetics; population structure
Publisher URL http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0031182009990333

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