title: A comparison of parasitological methods for the diagnosis of gambian trypanosomiasis in an area of low endemicity in Côte d'Ivoire.
abstract: The card agglutination test for trypanosomiasis (CATT) was used to examine 8974 inhabitants in 14 village areas south-west of Daloa, Côte d'Ivoire; 114 (1.3%) were CATTT or +/-, and were further examined by one or more of 6 methods for the direct detection of trypanosomes: lymphatic gland puncture, stained thick blood film (TBF), haematocrit centrifugation technique (HCT), mini-anion exchange column (MAEC), quantitative buffy coat method (QBC), and kit for in vitro isolation of trypanosomes (KIVI). Trypanosomes were seen by at least one method in 16 (14.0%) of the CATT+ group. Blood from 356 of the 8860 CATT- group was inoculated into KIVI; trypanosomes grew from the blood of 1 person. Eleven of the 17 patients with detectable trypanosomes were screened by all 6 methods: 6 were HCT+; 7 were gland+; 10 were MAEC+; 10 were KIVI+; 11 were both TBF+ and QBC+. One CATT+ patient was KIVI+ but otherwise negative, although TBF was not done. The overall prevalence of trypanosomes was 0.2% rising to 0.8% in one village area. The results support previous evidence that a reappraisal of procedures is required in the customary system of surveillance for gambian sleeping sickness.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bristol, Langford.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Truc
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Bailey
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Doua
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Laveissière
authors.forename: D G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Godfrey
mesh_terms: D000372:Agglutination Tests; D000818:Animals; D007560:Cote d'Ivoire / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000469:parasitology; D010274:Parasitology / Q000379:methods*; D015995:Prevalence; D012424:Rural Population; D014347:Trypanosoma brucei gambiense / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014353:Trypanosomiasis, African / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology