Identification of trypanosomes isolated by KIVI from wild mammals in Côte d'Ivoire: diagnostic, taxonomic and epidemiological considerations.

In Côte d'Ivoire, a comparative study was carried out on 122 wild mammals by parasitological and serological examination and by in vitro isolation of trypanosomes from fresh blood (KIVI). Thirteen isolated stocks were studied by isoenzymes and compared with Trypanosoma congolense and T. brucei bouaflé group reference stocks. Of the 122 animals, only 22 were positive on blood smears while 88 were KIVI positive and 92 were CATT/T. b. gambiense positive. For six stocks identified by isoenzymes as T. congolense, the agreement between ELISA and CATT was good (75%). As compared with CATT, antigen detection ELISA was not satisfactory for T. brucei (20%). Out of 18, 16 stocks represented a separate zymodeme (seven T. congolense and nine T. brucei) and a high genetic heterogeneity was observed. For T. congolense, savanna, kilifi and forest groups were represented by one zymodeme each. The four remaining zymodemes while put into this T. congolense group, were strongly independent of each other. Morphology indicated that those new zymodemes correspond to T. congolense. In the other hand, five new zymodemes fit into T. brucei classification.