Uganda is the only country in Africa where both forms of the Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT) disease exist;chronic gambiense disease in the northwest and acute rhodesiense disease in the southeast. Recent expansions of HAT from the traditional foci in the southeast to new territories in central Uganda, which previously were disease-free, have recently been reported. Possible merger of the two disease belts in central Uganda would create a major public health crisis given the differences in diagnostics and treatment associated with the two forms of disease. This FIRCA will investigate the factors contributing to the recent expansion of disease foci in central Uganda so that effective control methods can be implemented. The proposed studies build on the findings of the Parent Grant (NIAID R01Al068932), which addresses the molecular ecology and evolutionary genetics aspect of Glossina f. fuscipes (Gff) in the rhodesiense and gambiense foci in Uganda, respectively. Parent grant results have shown that tsetse populations in the gambiense foci in the northwest are genetically highly differentiated from the rhodesiense foci in the SE. Here we will investigate whether Gff flies expanding from southeast areas, where historical HAT foci exist, transmit rhodesiense disease now emerging in central Uganda. In addition, we will investigate whether the presence of a second vector species, Glossina pallidipes, may be fueling the maintenance of rhodesiense epidemics by enhancing the animal reservoirs of HAT. Results from this investigation will immediately be relevant for the ongoing vector control program in Uganda. This proposal will also result in significant capacity building both in theory and experimental methods on HAT epidemiology at National Livestock Resources Institute in Tororo Uganda, where the majority of the work will be performed.

Public Health Relevance

Human sleeping sickness transmitted by tsetse is a fatal disease in sub-Sahara;HAT has reemerged in south-eastern Uganda since late 1980s. Expansion of disease into new foci in previously disease free areas of central Uganda is alarming. Studies proposed here will investigate HAT emergence and specifically will focus on fly movements and tsetse species distribution as potential factors to understand disease epidemiology in Uganda.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
Fogarty International Center (FIC)
Type
Small Research Grants (R03)
Project #
5R03TW008755-02
Application #
8277938
Study Section
International and Cooperative Projects - 1 Study Section (ICP1)
Program Officer
Sina, Barbara J
Project Start
2011-06-07
Project End
2014-05-31
Budget Start
2012-06-01
Budget End
2013-05-31
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
2012
Total Cost
$56,667
Indirect Cost
$4,633
Name
Yale University
Department
Public Health & Prev Medicine
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
043207562
City
New Haven
State
CT
Country
United States
Zip Code
06520
Richardson, Joshua B; Evans, Benjamin; Pyana, Patient P et al. (2016) Whole genome sequencing shows sleeping sickness relapse is due to parasite regrowth and not reinfection. Evol Appl 9:381-93
Opiro, Robert; Saarman, Norah P; Echodu, Richard et al. (2016) Evidence of temporal stability in allelic and mitochondrial haplotype diversity in populations of Glossina fuscipes fuscipes (Diptera: Glossinidae) in northern Uganda. Parasit Vectors 9:258
Gloria-Soria, Andrea; Dunn, W Augustine; Telleria, Erich L et al. (2016) Patterns of Genome-Wide Variation in Glossina fuscipes fuscipes Tsetse Flies from Uganda. G3 (Bethesda) 6:1573-84
Aksoy, Emre; Telleria, Erich L; Echodu, Richard et al. (2014) Analysis of multiple tsetse fly populations in Uganda reveals limited diversity and species-specific gut microbiota. Appl Environ Microbiol 80:4301-12
Symula, Rebecca E; Alam, Uzma; Brelsfoard, Corey et al. (2013) Wolbachia association with the tsetse fly, Glossina fuscipes fuscipes, reveals high levels of genetic diversity and complex evolutionary dynamics. BMC Evol Biol 13:31
Doudoumis, Vangelis; Alam, Uzma; Aksoy, Emre et al. (2013) Tsetse-Wolbachia symbiosis: comes of age and has great potential for pest and disease control. J Invertebr Pathol 112 Suppl:S94-103
Wang, Jingwen; Brelsfoard, Corey; Wu, Yineng et al. (2013) Intercommunity effects on microbiome and GpSGHV density regulation in tsetse flies. J Invertebr Pathol 112 Suppl:S32-9
Aksoy, Serap; Caccone, Adalgisa; Galvani, Alison P et al. (2013) Glossina fuscipes populations provide insights for human African trypanosomiasis transmission in Uganda. Trends Parasitol 29:394-406
Hyseni, Chaz; Kato, Agapitus B; Okedi, Loyce M et al. (2012) The population structure of Glossina fuscipes fuscipes in the Lake Victoria basin in Uganda: implications for vector control. Parasit Vectors 5:222
Alam, Uzma; Hyseni, Chaz; Symula, Rebecca E et al. (2012) Implications of microfauna-host interactions for trypanosome transmission dynamics in Glossina fuscipes fuscipes in Uganda. Appl Environ Microbiol 78:4627-37

Showing the most recent 10 out of 11 publications