[Incidence of trypanosomiasis on wildlife of a game ranch in Burkina Faso].

Blood samples from 203 wild animals kept on a game ranch in Burkina Faso were examined by the "buffy coat" technique following microhaematocrite centrifugation in capillary tubes. Anaemia was assessed according to the value of packed cell volume (PCV). A thin smear and thick blood film from each animal were prepared and examined for detection of Babesia, Anaplasma, Theileria, Microfilaria. The infection rate and parasitaemia were assessed in each animal species. For each animal species examined, sex, age, weight, ectoparasites and trypanosoma species (Duttonella, Nannomonas, Trypanozoon, Megatrypanum groups) were recorded. The average of trypanosomosis rate was 15.3%, with considerable variations in relation to the behaviour and biotope showed a specific receptivity to the different trypanosome species. Receptivity was higher in Tragelaphus scriptus et Hippotragus equinus than in other species. Trypanosomosis infection did not seem to affect the health status of the monitored wild animals. This study confirms that wild animals are a reservoir of trypanosomes. The role they play in the epizootiology of animal trypanosomosis varies according to animal species, glossina and trypanosome involved and depends on the interactions between these three parameters in a given situation.