Incidence of and beliefs about trypanosomiasis in the Senegal River Basin

A survey was conducted for trypanosomiasis of 10,875 persons living in 56 villages in the Senegal River Basin in Mali. The incidence of the disease was found to be 137.9/100,000. An interview survey was simultaneously undertaken in order to elucidate local beliefs about the disease. Although trypanosomiasis is recognized as a distinct disease entity once the late stage has developed, there is no knowledge of its relationship to tsetse flies. It is common knowledge that hunters who frequent riverine forest galleries and forested savanna often contract the disease. Their frequent and intense exposure to Glossina sp. is not viewed as having any relationship to their contracting the disease.