The haematocrit centrifuge technique for the diagnosis of African trypanosomiasis.

Although the clinical and pathological features of sleeping sickness have been well recognized since the beginning of the century, we still have very little idea about how these changes are brought about A convincing role for a trypanosome-derived toxin has yet to be established and it is probable that most tissue damage results from an immunopathological reaction An immediate type hypersensitivity reaction might account for the pruritus and urticaria sometimes encountered in patients with the infection Autoantibodies are produced by patients with sleeping sickness but it has not been established that these can cause tissue damage Similarly, although high levels of immune complexes are found in patients with sleeping sickness, it has yet to be clearly established that these damage the brain or heart The dominant pathological event in sleeping sickness is B lymphocyte proliferation, first within the lymph nodes and then within the brain and meninges, and this response may lead to tissue damage in some way which has not yet been identified B lymphocyte proliferation could result from the action of a trypanosome-derived mitogen or from interference with T lymphocyte control over B lymphocyte function

The pathogenesis of sleeping sickness.

Male and female Glossina morsitans morsitans Westw. which emerged from puparia produced by animal-fed and in vitro-fed colonies in England were marked distinctively with non-toxic paint and released into a natural habitat of G. morsitans and G. pallidipes Aust. in Rhodesia. Concurrently, adults of both species which emerged from locally-collected puparia were marked and released. Recaptures from artificial refuges, odour attractants and mobile baits at periods up to 59 days after release and at distances up to 1800 m from the release site indicated no clear differences between native G. morsitans and the two laboratory-reared groups in respect of body size, amount of fat present at emergence, survival, dispersal, availability to a range of baits, diet, speed of taking a first meal, wing damage and insemination rate. Although the blood-meal identifications for marked female G. morsitans were similar to those for both sexes of unmarked flies, blood-meals from marked males showed a relatively high proportion of bovid identifications. Unmarked flies caught were generally older than marked catches. The ratio of females to males in unmarked samples (1:1 for G. morsitans, 2:1 for G. pallidipes) was roughly double that in marked catches.

https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0007485300010786

Survival and behaviour of tsetse flies (Diptera, Glossinidae) released in the field: a comparison between wild flies and animal-fed and in vitro -fed laboratory-reared flies

The use of filter paper is an inexpensive and convenient method for collecting, storing, and transporting blood samples for serological studies. In addition, samples occupy little space and can be readily transported without refrigeration. Rickettsial diseases often evolve according to an epidemic mode and are now considered reemerging diseases, especially in developing countries, under conditions where fieldwork could be difficult. The suitability of collecting whole-blood specimens on filter paper discs for rickettsial antibody assay was evaluated. Dried blood specimens from 64 individuals with antibodies to Coxiella burnetii, Bartonella quintana, or Rickettsia conorii were tested for rickettsial antibodies by microimmunofluorescence. Although occasional titers were 1 or 2 dilutions lower than those of tested serum samples, no statistically significant differences were observed. Among patients with negative serology, no false positives were found. This study demonstrated that the recovery of antibodies from finger-stick blood dried on filter paper after elution produces results comparable to those obtained by recovering antibodies from serum. Storing paper samples for 1 month at room temperature or at 4 degrees C did not significantly affect the level of antibodies recovered. This report shows the utility of this sample collection method in developing countries where refrigeration is not possible and venipuncture is problematic.

https://cvi.asm.org/content/cdli/6/4/483.full.pdf

Diagnosis of rickettsial diseases using samples dried on blotting paper.

Adaptation and validation of antibody-ELISA using dried blood spots on filter paper for epidemiological surveys of tsetse-transmitted trypanosomosis in cattle

C.D. Kimber

Papers

The indirect fluorescent antibody technique applied to dried blood, for use as a screening test in the diagnosis of human trypanosomiasis in Africa

The estimation of IgM immunoglobulin in dried blood, for use as a screening test in the diagnosis of human trypanosomiasis in Africa.

Identification of the blood meals of blood-sucking insects [Glossina spp. and mosquitos by means of a simplified precipitin test].