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. 2013 Nov 9;6(1):322.
doi: 10.1186/1756-3305-6-322.

Domestic pigs as potential reservoirs of human and animal trypanosomiasis in Northern Tanzania

Louise C Hamill, Magai T Kaare, Susan C Welburn, Kim Picozzi  1
Affiliations

Domestic pigs as potential reservoirs of human and animal trypanosomiasis in Northern Tanzania

Louise C Hamill et al. Parasit Vectors. .

Abstract

Background: Pig keeping is becoming increasingly common across sub-Saharan Africa. Domestic pigs from the Arusha region of northern Tanzania were screened for trypanosomes using PCR-based methods to examine the role of pigs as a reservoir of human and animal trypanosomiasis.

Methods: A total of 168 blood samples were obtained from domestic pigs opportunistically sampled across four districts in Tanzania (Babati, Mbulu, Arumeru and Dodoma) during December 2004. A suite of PCR-based methods was used to identify the species and sub-species of trypanosomes including: Internally Transcribed Sequence to identify multiple species; species specific PCR to identify T. brucei s. l. and T. godfreyi and a multiplex PCR reaction to distinguish T. b. rhodesiense from T. brucei s. l.

Results: Of the 168 domestic pigs screened for animal and human infective trypanosome DNA, 28 (16.7%) were infected with one or more species of trypanosome; these included: six pigs infected with Trypanosoma vivax (3.6%); three with Trypanosoma simiae (1.8%); two with Trypanosoma congolense (Forest) (1%) and four with Trypanosoma godfreyi (2.4%). Nineteen pigs were infected with Trypanosoma brucei s. l. (10.1%) of which eight were identified as carrying the human infective sub-species Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense (4.8%).

Conclusion: These results show that in Tanzania domestic pigs may act as a significant reservoir for animal trypanosomiasis including the cattle pathogens T. vivax and T. congolense, the pig pathogen T. simiae, and provide a significant reservoir for T. b. rhodesiense, the causative agent of acute Rhodesian sleeping sickness.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Estimated number of pigs in the East African countries of Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Reunion, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, 1961 – 2011, according to FAOSTAT online database [http://faostat.fao.org].
Figure 2
Figure 2
Map of Tanzania, showing districts where pigs were sampled (courtesy of H. K. Auty).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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