Anaemia in human African trypanosomiasis caused by Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense.
OBJECTIVE
To find out if indeed anaemia is a major sign in human trypanosomiasis caused by Trypanosoma brucei rhodensiense.


METHODS
A one year cross-sectional study of all admitted and surveyed Trypanosoma brucei rhodensiense infected patients (June 2001-June 2002)


METHODS
Nkhotakota District Hospital-Central Region of Malawi.


RESULTS
After survey and investigations, 28 patients (16 males and 12 females) were admitted to Nkhotakota District Hospital with a parasite positive Trypanosoma brucei rhodensiense infection. Twenty four (85.7%) of them were anaemic. Their mean haemoglobin was 8.96 +/- 3.07 g/dl compared to controls that had a mean haemoglobin concentration of 12.17 +/- 1.35 g/dl (p < 0.000001, 95% CI -4.342 to -2.0785) (n = 45). None of the trypanosomiasis infected individuals had schistosomiasis or hookworms. Two patients had malaria. One of them was an 18-year-old pregnant woman with hepatosplenomegaly, who developed ante partum haemorrhage. She was jaundiced and had haemoglobin of 10 g/dl. She died after two weeks following the diagnosis and treatment. The other was a two-year-old girl who had haemoglobin of 8.4 g/dl. She also had hepatosplenomegaly. All the other patients looked well nourished with no other signs of chronic diseases. Hepatosplenomegaly was significantly related to the severity of illness (p = 0.011) but not to anaemia.


CONCLUSIONS
Though basic, this study has shown that anaemia is indeed a complication of human Africa trypanosomiasis caused by Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense. There is need for further investigation to investigate the type of anaemia that is caused by this disease.
Chisi
J E
JE
College of Medicine, University of Malawi, Private Bag 360, Chichiri, Blantyre 3, Malawi.
Misiri
H
H
Zverev
Y
Y
Nkhoma
A
A
Sternberg
J M
JM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000740:Anemia / Q000469:parasitology*; D000818:Animals; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007297:Inpatients; D008295:Malawi; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016833:Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense; D014353:Trypanosomiasis, African / Q000150:complications*
D006454:Hemoglobins