Diagnosis of animal trypanosomoses: proper use of current tools and future prospects

Abstract

Reliable diagnostic tools are needed to choose the appropriate treatment and proper control measures for animal trypanosomoses, some of which are pathogenic. Trypanosoma cruzi, for example, is responsible for Chagas disease in Latin America. Similarly, pathogenic animal trypanosomoses of African origin (ATAO), including a variety of Trypanosoma species and subspecies, are currently found in Africa, Latin America and Asia. ATAO limit global livestock productivity and impact food security and the welfare of domestic animals. This review focusses on implementing previously reviewed diagnostic methods, in a complex epizootiological scenario, by critically assessing diagnostic results at the individual or herd level. In most cases, a single diagnostic method applied at a given time does not unequivocally identify the various parasitological and disease statuses of a host. These include “non-infected”, “asymptomatic carrier”, “sick infected”, “cured/not cured” and/or “multi-infected”. The diversity of hosts affected by these animal trypanosomoses and their vectors (or other routes of transmission) is such that integrative, diachronic approaches are needed that combine: (i) parasite detection, (ii) DNA, RNA or antigen detection and (iii) antibody detection, along with epizootiological information. The specificity of antibody detection tests is restricted to the genus or subgenus due to cross-reactivity with other Trypanosoma spp. and Trypanosomatidae, but sensitivity is high. The DNA-based methods implemented over the last three decades have yielded higher specificity and sensitivity for active infection detection in hosts and vectors. However, no single diagnostic method can detect all active infections and/or trypanosome species or subspecies. The proposed integrative approach will improve the prevention, surveillance and monitoring of animal trypanosomoses with the available diagnostic tools. However, further developments are required to address specific gaps in diagnostic methods and the sustainable control or elimination of these diseases. Graphical Abstract

Streptococcus pyogenesCas9 ribonucleoprotein delivery for efficient, rapid and marker-free gene editing inTrypanosomaandLeishmania

“…African Animal Trypanosomiasis, including Nagana, are debilitating diseases affecting livestock, primarily cattle in sub-Saharan Africa. Nagana, which is caused by Trypanosoma congolense , Trypanosoma vivax and Trypanosoma burcei brucei , leads to severe health issues, including anemia, weight loss, and decreased productivity in infected animals, making it a significant economic and agricultural concern in affected regions (Desquesnes et al, 2022). Understanding the biology of these parasites necessarily requires the ability to manipulate their genomes.…”

Wing Interferential Patterns (WIPs) and machine learning, a step toward automatized tsetse (Glossina spp.) identification

“…Among the 31 currently named Glossina spp, 17 are suspected or proven vectors of Trypanosoma parasites; these are Glossina palpalis palpalis (Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830), Glossina palpalis gambiensis (Vanderplank, 1949), Glossina fuscipes fuscipes (Newstead, 1910), Glossina fuscipes quazensis (Pires, 1948), Glossina tachninoides (Westwood, 1850), Glossina fuscipes martinii (Zumpt, 1935) and Glossina caliginea (Austen, 1911), Glossina swynertoni (Austen, 1923), Glossina morsitans morsitans (Westwood, 1850), Glossina morsitans submorsitans (Newstead 1910), Glossina morsitans centralis (Machado, 1970) , Glossina pallidipides (Austen, 1903), and Glossina longipalpis (Wiedman, 1830), G. austeni (Newstead, 1912), G. pallicera pallicera (Bigot, 1891), G. longipenis (Corti, 1895), G. brevipalpis (Newstead, 1910). They are proven, or suspected vectors of either Trypanosoma brucei gambiense Dutton 1902 or Trypanosoma rhodesiensis Stephens and Fanntham 1910 parasites responsible for the HAT and are also involved in the cyclic transmission of trypanosomes accountable for the AAT like Trypanosoma vivax Zienman, 1905, Trypanosoma congolensis Brodenn, 1904 , Trypanosoma brucei brucei Plimmer and Bradford, 1899, and Trypanosoma simiae Bruce 1895 3 – 5 . The Democratic Republic of the Congo has the highest species and subspecies richness (16 Glossina spp recorded).…”