Immune trypanolysis test as a promising bioassay to monitor the elimination of gambiense human African trypanosomiasis
Dama Emilie,
Camara Oumou,
Kaba Dramane,
Koffi Mathurin,
Camara Mamadou,
Compaoré Charlie,
Ilboudo Hamidou,
Courtin Fabrice,
Kaboré Jacques,
N’Gouan Emmanuel Kouassi,
Büscher Philippe,
Lejon Veerle,
Bucheton Bruno,
Jamonneau Vincent
Affiliations
Dama Emilie
Camara Oumou
Programme National de Lutte contre la Trypanosomose Humaine Africaine
Kaba Dramane
Institut Pierre Richet, Unité de Recherche « Trypanosomoses »
Koffi Mathurin
Université Jean Lorougnon Guédé, Laboratoire de biodiversité et Gestion durable des écosystèmes tropicaux, Unité de Recherche en Génétique et Epidémiologie moléculaire
Camara Mamadou
Programme National de Lutte contre la Trypanosomose Humaine Africaine
Compaoré Charlie
Centre International de Recherche-Développement sur l’Elevage en zones Subhumides (CIRDES), Unité de recherches sur les maladies à vecteurs et biodiversité
Ilboudo Hamidou
Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé (IRSS), Unité de Recherche Clinique de Nanoro (URCN)
Courtin Fabrice
Kaboré Jacques
N’Gouan Emmanuel Kouassi
Projet de Recherche Clinique sur les Trypanosomoses
Büscher Philippe
Institute of Tropical Medicine, Department of Biomedical Sciences
Lejon Veerle
Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), UMR INTERTRYP IRD-CIRAD, Université de Montpellier, TA A-17/G, Campus International de Baillarguet
The World Health Organization (WHO) has set the goal of gambiense-Human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) elimination as a public health problem for 2020 and interruption of transmission in humans for 2030. In this context, it is crucial to monitor progress towards these targets using accurate tools to assess the level of transmission in a given area. The aim of this study was to investigate the relevance of the immune trypanolysis test (TL) as a population-based bioassay to evaluate Trypanosoma brucei gambiense transmission in various epidemiological contexts. Significant correlations were observed between HAT endemicity levels and the percentage of TL-positive individuals in the population. TL therefore appears to be a suitable population-based biomarker of the intensity of transmission. In addition to being used as a tool to assess the HAT status at an individual level, assessing the proportion of TL positive individuals in the population appears as a promising and easy alternative to monitor the elimination of gambiense HAT in a given area.
