African trypanosome infection patterns in cattle in a farm setting in Southern Ghana

African Trypanosomiasis is a debilitating disease in both humans and animals that occurs in sub-Saharan Africa and has a severe negative impact on the livelihood of people in the affected areas. The disease is caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Trypanosoma, which is often described simply as blood-borne; however, a number of studies have shown the parasite inhabits many different environments within the host. Control of the disease involves measures that include the use of trypanocidal drugs to which there are growing number of reported cases of resistance. Here, the patterns of trypanosome DNA presence during a diminazene aceturate treatment round on a cohort of cattle in Adidome, Ghana were assessed. A group of 24 cows were selected irrespective of age and sex and the infecting trypanosome species followed for 18 days before and after treatment with diminazene aceturate in the blood and skin of the animals using a diagnostic nested PCR that targeted the alpha-beta tubulin gene array. Persistence of trypanosome DNA was observed over the period and parasite DNA was readily detected in both the skin and blood, with parasite DNA disappearing and reappearing in both across the study. Moreover, there was limited correlation between the parasite DNA detected in the skin and blood. Overall, the data show the patterns of a natural trypanosome infection during drug treatment. In addition, the diagnostic potential of sampling the skin for African trypanosomiasis is highlighted.