Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38378867›Full record

ArticleScientific reports2024

Consistent detection of Trypanosoma brucei but not T. congolense DNA in faeces of experimentally infected cattle.

Isabel Saldanha, Martha Betson, Christina Vrettou, Edith Paxton, James Nixon, Peter Tennant, Adrian Ritchie, Keith R Matthews, Liam J Morrison, Stephen J Torr and 1 more

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Scientific reports, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
2.7field-weighted citation impact, top 10% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 7 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Species Typing of Trypanosomatids Using Amplicon-Based Sequencing.Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.) · 2026
    Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.

Isabel SaldanhaVector Biology Department, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK. isabel.saldanha@lstmed.ac.uk.
Martha BetsonSchool of Veterinary Medicine, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK.
Christina VrettouRoslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
Edith PaxtonRoslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
James NixonLarge Animal Research and Imaging Facility, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
Peter TennantLarge Animal Research and Imaging Facility, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
Adrian RitchieLarge Animal Research and Imaging Facility, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
Keith R MatthewsInstitute of Immunology and Infection, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
Liam J MorrisonRoslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
Stephen J TorrVector Biology Department, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK.
Lucas J CunninghamDepartment of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK.
University of Edinburgh · GBLiverpool School of Tropical Medicine · GBRoslin Institute · GBUniversity of Surrey · GB

Funding

Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council BB/S01375X/1Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council BS/E/D/20002173Gates Foundation INV-001785Gates Foundation INV-031337Wellcome Trust 206815Wellcome Trust 206815/Z/17/Z
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Animal African trypanosomiasis (AAT) is a significant food security and economic burden in sub-Saharan Africa. Current AAT empirical and immunodiagnostic surveillance tools suffer from poor sensitivity and specificity, with blood sampling requiring animal restraint and trained personnel. Faecal sampling could increase sampling accessibility, scale, and species range. Therefore, this study assessed feasibility of detecting Trypanosoma DNA in the faeces of experimentally-infected cattle. Holstein-Friesian calves were inoculated with Trypanosoma brucei brucei AnTat 1.1 (n = 5) or T. congolense Savannah IL3000 (n = 6) in separate studies. Faecal and blood samples were collected concurrently over 10 weeks and screened using species-specific PCR and qPCR assays. T. brucei DNA was detected in 85% of post-inoculation (PI) faecal samples (n = 114/134) by qPCR and 50% by PCR between 4 and 66 days PI. However, T. congolense DNA was detected in just 3.4% (n = 5/145) of PI faecal samples by qPCR, and none by PCR. These results confirm the ability to consistently detect T. brucei DNA, but not T. congolense DNA, in infected cattle faeces. This disparity may derive from the differences in Trypanosoma species tissue distribution and/or extravasation. Therefore, whilst faeces are a promising substrate to screen for T. brucei infection, blood sampling is required to detect T. congolense in cattle.

Indexed as

TrypanosomaTrypanosoma brucei bruceiTrypanosoma congolenseTrypanosomiasis, AfricanAnimalsCattleDNAFecesHumansDNA

Identifiers

PMID38378867
PMCPMC10879203
OpenAlexW4391969367

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.