Tsetse fly host preference from sleeping sickness foci in Cameroon: epidemiological implications

To determine the tsetse fly host preferences in two sleeping sickness foci of southern Cameroon, four entomological surveys (two in each focus) were carried out. For the whole study, 4929 tsetse flies were caught: 3933 (79.8%) Glossina palpalis palpalis, 626 (12.7%) Glossina pallicera pallicera, 276 (5.6%) Glossina nigrofusca and 94 (1.9%) Glossina caliginea. One hundred and thirty-eight blood meals were collected and the origin of 118 (85.5%) meals was successfully identified: 38.4% from man, 23.9% from pig, 20.3% from sitatunga (Tragelaphus spekeii), 2.2% from sheep and 0.7% from golden cat (Profilis aurata). The number of Glossina palpalis palpalis with man blood meals is more important in the Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT) focus showing endemic evolution (Campo) than in the focus (Bipindi) presenting a flare up of the disease. The consideration of both results of the prevalence of Trypanosoma brucei gambiense in vertebrate hosts and those of the tsetse fly host preferences indicates a wild animal reservoir of Gambian sleeping sickness and three transmission cycles (human, domestic and wild animals' cycles) in southern Cameroon HAT foci.