title: Trypanosome infection rates in tsetse flies in the "silent" sleeping sickness focus of Bafia in the Centre Region in Cameroon.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The Bafia sleeping sickness focus of Cameroon is considered as "silent" with no case reported for about 20 years despite medical surveys performed during the last decades. In this focus, all epidemiological factors that can contribute to trypanosomes transmission are present. To update our knowledge on the current risks of Human and Animal African trypanosomiases, different trypanosome species were identified in midguts of tsetse flies captured in the Bafia focus.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tsetse flies were trapped using pyramidal traps. Each tsetse fly was identified and live flies were dissected and their midguts collected. DNA was extracted from each midgut and thereafter, blood meals and different trypanosome species were identified with molecular tools. The biological data were transported onto maps in order to have their distribution.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 98 traps set up, 461 Glossina palpalis palpalis were captured; 322 (69.8 %) tsetse flies were dissected and 49 (15.2 %) teneral flies identified. The average apparent density of tsetse flies per day was 1.18. Of the 35 (10.9 %) blood meals collected, 82 % were taken on pigs and 17.6 % on humans. Eighty two (25.5 %) trypanosome infections were identified: 56 (17.4 %) T. congolense savannah, 17 (5.3 %) T. congolense forest, 5 (1.6 %) T. vivax and 4 (1.2 %) T. brucei s.l. No infection of T. simiae and T. b. gambiense was identified. Sixty seven (81.7 %) infections were single and 15 (18.3 %) mixed involving one triple infection (T. congolense forest, T. brucei and T. vivax) and 14 double infections: 11 T. congolense forest and T. congolense savannah, two T. congolense savannah and T. brucei, and one of T. brucei and T. vivax. The generated maps show the distribution of tsetse flies and trypanosome infections across the focus.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study has shown that animal trypanosomes remain an important problem in this region. Meanwhile, it is very likely that HAT does not seem anymore to be a public health problem in this focus. The generated maps enabled us to define high risk transmission areas for AAT, and where disease control must be focused in order to improve animal health as well as the quantity of animal proteins.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Parasitology and Entomology Unit, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Dschang, PO Box 67, Dschang, Cameroon. gsimoca@yahoo.fr.
authors.forename: Gustave
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Simo
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Science, University of Yaoundé I, PO Box 812, Yaoundé, Cameroon. fongho_pierre@yahoo.fr.
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fongho
authors.affiliation: Ministry of Livestock, Fisheries and Animal Industries, Special Mission for TseTse Flies Eradication, PO Box 263, Ngaoundéré, Cameroon. pfarikoumar@yahoo.fr.
authors.forename: Oumarou
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Farikou
authors.affiliation: Department of Geography, University of Ngaoundéré, Ngaoundéré, Cameroon. ndjeutoinnocent@yahoo.fr.
authors.forename: Prosper Innocent Ndjeuto
authors.initials: PI
authors.lastname: Ndjeuto-Tchouli
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Science, University of Yaoundé I, PO Box 812, Yaoundé, Cameroon. tljudith@yahoo.fr.
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tchouomene-Labou
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Science, University of Yaoundé I, PO Box 812, Yaoundé, Cameroon. njiokouf@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Flobert
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Njiokou
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaoundé 1, Yaoundé, Cameroon. asontaz@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Tazoacha
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Asonganyi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002163:Cameroon / Q000453:epidemiology; D005843:Geography; D006801:Humans; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000469:parasitology*; D013552:Swine; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology / Q000635:transmission; D014345:Trypanosoma / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014348:Trypanosoma congolense / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014353:Trypanosomiasis, African / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology / Q000635:transmission; D014370:Tsetse Flies / Q000469:parasitology*