TITLE:
Field Evaluation of LED Fluorescence Microscopy for Demonstration of Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense in Patient Blood
AUTHORS:
Enock Matovu, Andrew Edielu, James Ojom, Ann Nanteza, Charles Drago Kato, Sylvain Biéler, Joseph Mathu Ndung’u
KEYWORDS:
Human African Trypanosomiasis, Rhodesiense, LED Fluorescence Microscopy, Red Blood Cell Lysis, Diagnosis
JOURNAL NAME:
Microscopy Research,
Vol.7 No.1,
January
31,
2019
ABSTRACT: Diagnosis of Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense human African trypanosomiasis requires demonstration of parasites in body fluids by microscopy. The microscopy methods that are routinely used are difficult to deploy in resource-limited settings due to practical challenges, including lengthy and tedious procedures, and the need for specific equipment to centrifuge samples in glass capillary tubes. We report here on a study that was conducted in a rural region of eastern Uganda to evaluate new methods that take advantage of a field-deployable LED fluorescence microscope. Examination of acridine orange-stained blood smears by LED fluorescence microscopy resulted in a diagnostic accuracy that was similar to that of routine methods, while the time needed to identify parasites was shortened significantly. These findings make these new microscopy methods attractive alternatives to procedures that are currently used for diagnosis of T. b. rhodesiense human African trypanosomiasis.