[Contributions and limits of the diagnosis of human African trypanosomiasis].
Human African trypanosomiasis, or sleeping sickness, is still a worrying problem in Africa. Sleeping sickness is a disease for which a systematic monitoring is necessary, particularly for the trypanosomiasis caused by Trypanosoma brucei gambiense, which is characterized by a long asymptomatic stage. In the absence of specific clinical signs, mass screening of populations remains the only way to control the disease and to avoid its spreading. The lack of sensitivity and specificity of the diagnosis tests classically used led to the development of molecular tools. PCR amplification of parasite specific sequences has considerably improved the diagnostic of the parasitic infection, the stage diagnosis as well as the post-therapeutic follow-up. But there are limits with a use in routine and research is still necessary to make PCR a real tool for control of sleeping sickness.
Jamonneau
Vincent
V
Institut de recherche pour le développement (IRD), UR 035, Laboratoire de recherche et de coordination sur les trypanosomiases (LRCT), IRD/CIRAD, Campus international de Baillarguet, TA 207G, 34398 Montpellier 5, France. Vincent.Jamonneau@mpl.ird.fr
Solano
Philippe
P
Koffi
Mathurin
M
Denizot
Mélanie
M
Cuny
Gérard
G
D000818:Animals; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014347:Trypanosoma brucei gambiense / Q000235:genetics; D014353:Trypanosomiasis, African / Q000175:diagnosis*