Perineal recurrence of prostate cancer along a brachytherapy needle track: A case report.

Metastatic recurrence in an atypical site, such as the perineum, can occur after prostatectomy, cryotherapy, or brachytherapy, but is uncommon. To our knowledge, this is only the third case of perineal recurrence of prostatic cancer along a low dose rate brachytherapy needle track. A 64-year-old man was referred to an urologist with an increased PSA of 6.9ng/mL in December 2008. There were no urinary symptoms. Prostatic biopsies revealed a Gleason 6 adenocarcinoma (3+3), and he was treated with low dose rate brachytherapy in May 2009. Sixty-seven seeds of iodine 125 were loaded under ultrasound control, and the PSA subsequently fell to a nadir of 1.19ng/mL in November 2015. Eight years (May 2017) after the initial treatment, the PSA rose to 5.2ng/mL. Pelvic MRI and choline PET revealed a nodule in the region of the left internal obturator muscle. Nodule biopsies confirmed prostatic origin. This perineal recurrence is thus most likely related to seeding of tumour cells along the track of a brachytherapy needle. To our knowledge, this is only the fourth case of perineal recurrence of prostatic cancer along a low-dose rate brachytherapy needle track. Perineal recurrence of prostatic cancer along a LDR brachytherapy needle track can occur. Improved imaging techniques may help to identify this type of recurrence earlier and optimise treatment.

[Oral cavity and pharyngo-laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma. What lymph node volumes to select for external beam radiation therapy?] / Carcinomes épidermoïdes de la cavité buccale et du pharyngo-larynx. Quels volumes ganglionnaires traiter en radiothérapie externe ?

The selection of target volumes for head and neck cancer radiation therapy, particularly prophylactic volumes that reflect infra-clinic spreads, is a complex process. It is based on the knowledge of the natural history of these tumors and must take into consideration the special challenges due to the diversity and complexity of head and neck anatomy. The dosimetric and ballistic precision provided by modern radiation techniques has required strong strategic deliberation to ensure the relevance and reproducibility of target volumes. Specifically, regarding cervical lymph node volumes, two issues emerged. What lymph node area to select depending on the location and the staging of the primary tumor? How to convey that choice in the process of treatment planning and delivery? This debate has been progressively enriched over time resulting in the publication of several international guidelines to standardize the terminology of head and neck lymph node areas and to lay solid science-based foundations to drive practices. This abundance of information makes these guidelines complex, but their accurate understanding is required for adequate usage. We provide an overview of the main published recommendations for the selection of lymph node target volumes when treating oral cavity and pharyngo-laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma with radiation therapy.

Baseline survey of animal trypanosomosis in the region of the Boucle du Mouhoun, Burkina Faso.

In view of gathering baseline information about the prevalence of animal trypanosomosis, the Pan African Tsetse and Trypanosomiasis Eradication Campaign (PATTEC) funded a cross sectional survey in the region of the Boucle du Mouhoun which constitutes the Northern limit of the tsetse distribution in Burkina. This cross sectional study was carried out in 53 villages located in the six provinces of the region. A total of 2002 cattle, 1466 small ruminants and 481 donkeys were sampled. This survey showed that about 25% of the cattle had been treated with trypanocidal drugs within 3 months before the survey compared to 3% and 0.42% for the small ruminants and donkeys, respectively. Parasitological prevalence in cattle was low: 0.77% (95% C.I. 0.30-1.95%). No goats and three donkeys were found infected with trypanosomes. Infections were mainly due to Trypanosoma vivax (75.0%) with cases of Trypanosoma congolense (25.0%). In cattle, the serological prevalence of trypanosomosis, for the entire region of the Boucle du Mouhoun, was 34.2% (95% C.I. 26.1-43.4%). For sheep, goats and donkeys, the prevalence were of 20.9% (95% C.I. 12.2-33.5%), 8.5% (95% C.I. 5.7-12.5%) and 5.8% (95% C.I. 3.9-8.6%), respectively. The age and distance to the river were the two main risk factors associated with seropositivity.

[Human African trypanosomiasis in Côte d'Ivoire and Burkina Faso: optimization of epidemiologic surveillance strategies]. / La Trypanosomose Humaine Africaine dans l'espace ivoiro-burkinabé : optimisation des stratégies de surveillance épidémiologique.

The objective of this paper was to describe recent data from Burkina Faso and Côte d'Ivoire on Human African Trypanosomosis medical monitoring in order to (i) update the disease situation in these two countries that have been sharing important migratory, economic and epidemiological links for more than a century and (ii) to define the future strategic plans to achieve the goal of a sustainable control/elimination process. Results of active and passive surveillance indicate that all sleeping sickness patients diagnosed these last years in Burkina Faso were imported cases from Côte d'Ivoire. Nevertheless the re-introduction of the parasite is effective and the risk of a resumption of transmission exists. In Côte d'Ivoire, few cases are still diagnosed in several historical foci and the fear exists that the disease could reemerge in these foci or spread to other areas. In order to achieve a sustainable elimination of sleeping sickness in these two countries, control entities have to adapt their strategy to the different epidemiological contexts. At the exception of specific cases, the current disease prevalence no longer justifies the use of expensive medical surveys by exhaustive screening of the population. New disease control strategies, based on the exchange of epidemiological information between the two countries and integrated to the regular national health systems are required to target priority intervention areas. Follow-up in time of both treated patients and serological suspects that are potential asymptomatic carriers of parasite is also important. In parallel, researchers need to better characterize the respective roles of the human and animal reservoir in the maintenance of transmission and evaluate the different control strategies taken by National Control Programs in term of cost/effectiveness to help optimize them.

Association studies in QTL regions linked to bovine trypanotolerance in a West African crossbred population.

African animal trypanosomosis is a parasitic blood disease transmitted by tsetse flies and is widespread in sub-Saharan Africa. West African taurine breeds have the ability, known as trypanotolerance, to limit parasitaemia and anaemia and remain productive in enzootic areas. Several quantitative trait loci (QTL) underlying traits related to trypanotolerance have been identified in an experimentally infected F(2) population resulting from a cross between taurine and zebu cattle. Although this information is highly valuable, the QTL remain to be confirmed in populations subjected to natural conditions of infection, and the corresponding regions need to be refined. In our study, 360 West African cattle were phenotyped for the packed cell volume control under natural conditions of infection in south-western Burkina Faso. Phenotypes were assessed by analysing data from previous cattle monitored over 2 years in an area enzootic for trypanosomosis. We further genotyped for 64 microsatellite markers mapping within four previously reported QTL on BTA02, BTA04, BTA07 and BTA13. These data enabled us to estimate the heritability of the phenotype using the kinship matrix between individuals computed from genotyping data. Thus, depending on the estimators considered and the method used, the heritability of anaemia control ranged from 0.09 to 0.22. Finally, an analysis of association identified an allele of the MNB42 marker on BTA04 as being strongly associated with anaemia control, and a candidate gene, INHBA, as being close to that marker.

Field detection of resistance to isometamidium chloride and diminazene aceturate in Trypanosoma vivax from the region of the Boucle du Mouhoun in Burkina Faso.

A longitudinal study assessed the chemoresistance to isometamidium chloride (ISM) and diminazene aceturate (DA) in the region of the Boucle du Mouhoun in Burkina Faso. A preliminary cross-sectional survey allowed the identification of the 10 villages with the highest parasitological prevalences (from 2.1% to 16.1%). In each of these 10 villages, two herds of approximately 50 bovines were selected, one being treated with ISM (1mg/kg b.w.) and the other remaining untreated as control group. All animals (treated and untreated herds) becoming infected were treated with DA (3.5mg/kg b.w.). In total, 978 head of cattle were followed up. Fortnightly controls of the parasitaemia and PCV were carried out during 8 weeks. The main trypanosome species was Trypanosoma vivax (83.6%) followed by Trypanosoma congolense (16.4%). In two villages, less than 25% of the control untreated cattle became positive indicating no need to use prophylactic treatment. These two villages were not further studied. Resistance to ISM was observed in 5 of the remaining 8 villages (Débé, Bendougou, Kangotenga, Mou and Laro) where the relative risk (control/treated hazard ratios) of becoming infected was lower than 2 i.e. between 0.89 (95% CI: 0.43-2.74) and 1.75 (95% CI: 0.57-5.37). In contrast, this study did not show evidence of resistance to DA in the surveyed villages with only 8.6% (n=93) of the cattle relapsing after treatment. Our results suggest that because of the low prevalence of multiple resistances in the area a meticulous use of the sanative pair system would constitute the best option to delay as much as possible the spread of chemoresistance till complete eradication of the disease by vector control operations.

Spatio-temporal distribution of tsetse and other biting flies in the Mouhoun River basin, Burkina Faso.

In the Mouhoun River basin, Burkina Faso, the main vectors of African animal trypanosomoses are Glossina palpalis gambiensis Vanderplank and Glossina tachinoides Westwood (Diptera: Glossinidae), both of which are riverine tsetse species. The aim of our study was to understand the impact of landscape anthropogenic changes on the seasonal dynamics of vectors and associated trypanosomosis risk. Three sites were selected on the basis of the level of disturbance of tsetse habitats and predominant tsetse species: disturbed (Boromo, for G. tachinoides) and half-disturbed (Douroula for G. tachinoides and Kadomba for G. p. gambiensis). At each of these sites, seasonal variations in the apparent densities of tsetse and mechanical vectors and tsetse infection rates were monitored over 17 months. Tsetse densities differed significantly between sites and seasons. Of 5613 captured tsetse, 1897 were dissected; 34 of these were found to be infected with trypanosomes. The most frequent infection was Trypanosoma vivax (1.4%), followed by Trypanosoma congolense (0.3%) and Trypanosoma brucei (0.05%). The mean physiological age of 703 tsetse females was investigated to better characterize the transmission risk. Despite the environmental changes, it appeared that tsetse lived long enough to transmit trypanosomes, especially in half-disturbed landscapes. A total of 3021 other biting flies from 15 species (mainly Tabanidae and Stomoxyinae) were also caught: their densities also differed significantly among sites and seasons. Their relative importance regarding trypanosome transmission is discussed; the trypanosomosis risk in cattle was similar at all sites despite very low tsetse densities (but high mechanical vector densities) in one of them.

Preventing and containing trypanocide resistance in the cotton zone of West Africa.

Trypanocidal drugs are the most commonly purchased and used livestock input by resource-poor farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. The effective use of trypanocidal drugs by smallholder farmers is threatened by the development of widespread resistance. This is a particular concern for smallholder crop-livestock farmers in the cotton zone of West Africa. A recent project funded by the Germany Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) confirmed significant resistance to trypanocidal drugs in villages with high trypanosomosis risk in Burkina Faso and Mali. Strategies for resistance prevention were investigated. Keeping trypanotolerant cattle was found to be an effective disease management strategy, but farmers' preference for trypano-susceptible breeds, for reasons unrelated to animal health, suggest that the intromission of zebu genotype will continue. Community vector control was found to be effective in managing trypanosomosis in the presence of resistance and the high-level participatory approach tested was found to be more sustainable than low-level approaches previously used in the region. This suggests that participatory vector control with appropriate external support is likely to be a viable option for implementing resistance 'clean-up'. Promoting rational drug use (RDU) emerged as a promising prevention strategy, with clear improvements in farmer knowledge, farmer practice and animal health outcomes. However, policy studies showed low understanding of the problem of resistance and the absence of an enabling environment for RDU. Engagement was initiated with actors involved in the problem of resistance and for its solution, including manufacturers, sellers and users of drugs, regulators and extension providers.

Population sizes and dispersal pattern of tsetse flies: rolling on the river?

The West African trypanosomoses are mostly transmitted by riverine species of tsetse fly. In this study, we estimate the dispersal and population size of tsetse populations located along the Mouhoun river in Burkina Faso where tsetse habitats are experiencing increasing fragmentation caused by human encroachment. Dispersal estimated through direct (mark and recapture) and indirect (genetic isolation by distance) methods appeared consistent with one another. In these fragmented landscapes, tsetse flies displayed localized, small subpopulations with relatively short effective dispersal. We discuss how such information is crucial for designing optimal strategies for eliminating this threat. To estimate ecological parameters of wild animal populations, the genetic measures are both a cost- and time-effective alternative to mark-release-recapture. They can be applied to other vector-borne diseases of medical and/or economic importance.

Nutritional stress of adult female tsetse flies (Diptera: Glossinidae) affects the susceptibility of their offspring to trypanosomal infections.

The epidemiology of tsetse-transmitted trypanosomiasis depends, among other factors, on the proportion of infected flies in a tsetse population. A wide range of intrinsic and extrinsic factors seem to determine the ability of a tsetse fly to become infected and to transmit the parasite. In this paper, we investigated the effect of nutritional stress of reproducing female Glossina morsitans morsitans on the susceptibility of their offspring to trypanosomal infections. Adult female flies that were nutritionally stressed by feeding only once a week, produced pupae with a significant lower weight and offspring with a significant lower fat content as well as a lower baseline immune peptide gene expression. Moreover, infection experiments showed that the emerging teneral flies were significantly more susceptible to a Trypanosoma congolense or Trypanosoma brucei brucei infection than flies emerging from non-starved adult females. These findings suggest that in the field, substantial nutritional stress of adult tsetse flies, as is often experienced during the hot dry season, can increase significantly the vectorial capacity of the emerging teneral flies and thus result in an increased infection rate of the tsetse population.

[Population growth and global warming: impacts on tsetse and trypanosomoses in West Africa]. / Impacts des évolutions démographiques et climatiques sur la répartition spatiale des hommes, des tsé-tsé: et des trypanosomoses en Afrique de l'Ouest.

Demographic evolution, climatic change and economical development that happened in West Africa during the XXth century had a lot of consequences on human settlement and landscape. These changes have in turn an impact on the pathogenic system of human and animal trypanosomoses. Since last century, the northern tsetse distribution limit has shifted towards the south, probably due to a decrease in rainfall combined to the impact of human pressure. Sleeping sickness (SS) foci have also shifted from the savannah areas (where there is no more SS) to the forest and mangrove areas of West Africa, but animal trypanosomoses are still present in savannah. We show a decrease of tsetse of the morsitans group as a result of an increase of human densities. On the opposite, tsetse species like Glossina palpalis adapt to high human densities and are found in the biggest urban centres of West Africa. There is a need to promote multidisciplinary studies on this demographic-climatic-vector borne disease topic, especially in Africa to be able to define future areas of presence/absence of these diseases in order to help continental plans of control that have recently begun.

[Impact of the dynamics of human settlement on tsetse and trypanosomosis distribution in the Mouhoun river basin (Burkina Faso)]. / Impact de la dynamique de peuplement sur la distribution des glossines et des trypanosomoses dans la boucle du Mouhoun (Burkina Faso).

In Burkina Faso, the Mouhoun river basin (formerly "Black Volta") constitutes a historical focus of Human (HAT) and Animal (AAT) African Trypanosomoses, both transmitted by tsetse flies. Nowadays, HAT seems to have disappeared from this area, while AAT still causes severe economic losses. In order to explain these different epidemiological situations, we undertook a geographical study based on the analysis of aerial pictures between 1952 and 2007, and field surveys to collect medical, entomological, and veterinary data on trypanosomoses. Our results suggest that in this area, landscapes have been dramatically modified as a consequence of population growth, and in turn have had an impact on the number and distribution of tsetse flies. Combined with the historical medical action on HAT which probably led to the disappearance of T. b. gambiense, this environmental degradation and the development of hydrological structures provide explanations for the local disappearance of HAT, and for the maintenance of AAT. It appears necessary to extrapolate these studies to other areas in order to identify the factors explaining the presence/absence of trypanosomoses in the context of human population growth and climatic changes, in order to help to target priority areas for the control of these diseases.

Comparing FAMACHA eye color chart and Hemoglobin Color Scale tests for detecting anemia and improving treatment of bovine trypanosomosis in West Africa.

African animal trypanosomosis (AAT) is considered the most important cattle disease in sub-Saharan Africa but its diagnosis in the field is difficult, resulting in inappropriate treatments, excessive delay in treatments and under-treatment. A field study in West Africa investigated the usefulness of anemia in the diagnosis of trypanosomosis. A total of 20,772 cattle blood samples were taken from 121 villages in 3 countries. The average packed cell volume (PCV) of trypanosomosis positive cattle was 23%, versus 28% for negative cattle. In a sub-set of animals, other causes of anemia were investigated showing most of the anemia burden was attributable to trypanosomosis. Anemia was a reasonably accurate indicator of trypanosomosis in the study area, with a sensitivity of 56% and a specificity of 80% and a diagnostic odds ratio of 4.2, the highest of all the signs evaluated (anemia, emaciation, staring coat, lymphadenopathy, fever, lacrimation and salivary or nasal discharge). Having confirmed the usefulness of anemia as a predictor of trypanosomosis, two potential pen-side tests for anemia were evaluated (the first reported trial of their use in cattle), firstly a color chart developed for anemia detection in sheep through visual inspection of conjunctival membranes (FAMACHA) and secondly the Hemoglobin Color Scale (HbCS) developed for assessing hemoglobin levels in human patients by comparing blood drops on filter paper with color standards. In a population of cattle suspected by their owners to be sick with trypanosomosis (n=898) the sensitivity of the HbCS test was 56% and the specificity was 77%, while the sensitivity of the FAMACHA test was 95% and the specificity was 22%. The higher sensitivity but lower specificity suggests the FAMACHA may be useful as a screening test and the HbCS as a confirmatory test. The two tests were also evaluated in cattle randomly selected from the village herd. Using cut-off points to optimize test performance, the HbCS test had a sensitivity of 81% and a specificity of 62% (n=505 cattle), while the FAMACHA had a sensitivity of 92% and a specificity of 30% (n=298 cattle). Recommendations are made for the appropriate use of these tests in the West African region.

The extent of linkage disequilibrium in a large cattle population of western Africa and its consequences for association studies.

Several previous studies concluded that linkage disequilibrium (LD) in livestock populations from developed countries originated from the impact of strong selection. Here, we assessed the extent of LD in a cattle population from western Africa that was bred in an extensive farming system. The analyses were performed on 363 individuals in a Bos indicus x Bos taurus population using 42 microsatellite markers on BTA04, BTA07 and BTA13. A high level of expected heterozygosity (0.71), a high mean number of alleles per locus (9.7) and a mild shift in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium were found. Linkage disequilibrium extended over shorter distances than what has been observed in cattle from developed countries. Effective population size was assessed using two methods; both methods produced large values: 1388 when considering heterozygosity (assuming a mutation rate of 10(-3)) and 2344 when considering LD on whole linkage groups (assuming a constant population size over generations). However, analysing the decay of LD as a function of marker spacing indicated a decreasing trend in effective population size over generations. This decrease could be explained by increasing selective pressure and/or by an admixture process. Finally, LD extended over small distances, which suggested that whole-genome scans will require a large number of markers. However, association studies using such populations will be effective.

The application of PCR-ELISA to the detection of Trypanosoma congolense type savannah (TCS) in bovine blood samples.

PCR-ELISA was set up to detect strains of Trypanosoma congolense type savannah (TCS) in field samples of buffy coats. Results of PCR-ELISA and PCR were compared and the effectiveness of both techniques was also compared with the Murray's method for the detection of TCS in 257 bovine buffy coats. The PCR products were labelled with digoxigenin (DIG-dUTP) during amplification cycles of the repetitive satellite DNA. A biotinylated DNA capture probe was used to detect the PCR products by ELISA in streptavidin coated microplates. Both the PCR-ELISA and PCR were more sensitive and more specific than the Murray's method. Of the 257 buffy coats analysed by the three techniques, PCR-ELISA and PCR detected TCS in 98 and 97 buffy coats respectively, whereas the Murray's method detected only 39 samples. PCR-ELISA and PCR had almost the same sensitivity and specificity. PCR-ELISA and PCR respectively detected TCS in 39.2% and 38.6% in all the 334 samples analysed by both techniques in this study.

Efficacy and safety of artemether in the treatment of severe end complicated malaria in mali.

We compared the efficacy and safety of artemether versus Quinine in 67 children from 3 months to 15 years old hospitalised for severe and complicated in the pediatric service of Gabriel Touré's Hospital Children were randomised to receive artemether or quinine. Artemether was given at 3,2mg/kg in day 1 (two times) and 1; 6mg single dose from day 2 to day5) and quinine was administrated at 20mg/kg (attack dose) followed by 10mg/kg every 8 hours until oral drug administration (10 mg/kg every 8 hours). The treatment for artemether lasted 5 days while quinine treatment lasted 7 day. Thirty tree and 34 children received respectively artemether and quinine. Two groups were comparable with baseline characteristics. Cerebral malaria was most frequent in the two with no statistical difference. Seventy height percent in artemether group compared to 82,4% in quinine group. No statistical difference was found between groups regarding parameters such as : Parasitic clearance, thermal clearances, delay of exit of the coma, upsurge, tolerance, and mortality. Artemether is as efficacious and well safe as quinine for the treatment of sevese and complicated malaria.

Comparative pathogenicity of three genetically distinct types of Trypanosoma congolense in cattle: clinical observations and haematological changes.

The pathology of African bovine trypanosomosis was compared in Zebu cattle subcutaneously inoculated with three clones of trypanosomes corresponding to the three genetically distinct types of Trypanosoma congolense; savannah-type, west African riverine/forest-type and kilifi-type. All inoculated animals became parasitaemic between 7 and 11 days post-infection (dpi). The savannah-type showed consistently higher levels of parasitaemia and lower packed red cell volume percentages and leukocyte counts than the other two types. The syndrome was also more severe in the savannah-type and led inexorably to death between 29 and 54 dpi while animals with the forest or the kilifi-types recovered from earlier symptoms and haematological alterations after 3 months of infection. By the end of the experiment, the animals self-cured from the forest-type infection and the kilifi-type passed under control. The results of the present study indicated clear difference in pathogenicity between the three types of T. congolense; the savannah-type was virulent while the forest-type was of low pathogenicity and the kilifi-type was non-pathogenic.

Comparative pathogenicity of three genetically distinct Trypanosoma congolense-types in inbred Balb/c mice.

Inbred Balb/c mice were infected with three clones of Trypanosoma congolense (Sam.28.1, Dind.3.1 and K60.1A) corresponding, respectively, to the three genetically distinct types (savannah, forest and kilifi) defined within this species, for the purpose of comparing their pathogenicity for a better understanding of the epidemiology of African trypanosomosis. Another clone of savannah type, IL 3000, was also tested simultaneously to study a probable strain variation. Both the clones of savannah type were found of extreme virulence with loss of appetite, rough hair, rapid respiration, lethargy, and all mice died within a week. Parasitaemias evolved rapidly to the first peak by day 3-5 post-inoculation without any remission and the course of disease was correlated positively with the prepatent period. The clones of the forest type and the kilifi type were of low virulence with chronic infection and symptoms progressively less patent throughout the infection; only one mouse died in each experimental group.

Standardised tests in mice and cattle for the detection of drug resistance in tsetse-transmitted trypanosomes of African domestic cattle.

Resistance to the drugs used to control African animal trypanosomosis is increasingly recognised as a constraint to livestock production in sub-Saharan Africa. The most commonly used tests for detection of trypanocidal drug resistance are tests using mice or ruminants, but these suffer from lack of standardisation and hence it may be difficult to compare the results of different investigators. Tests in mice are less expensive than tests in ruminants, but while tests in mice they may be useful as a general guide to resistance in a geographic area they should not be extrapolated to cattle on an individual trypanosome level. Moreover, the commonly used protocols are too laborious for their application to large number of trypanosome isolates on an area-wide basis. This paper presents guidelines for standardised testing of trypanocidal drugs in vivo, and introduces a simplified single-dose test for use in mice, which is convenient for use in areas with limited laboratory facilities. The single-dose test is appropriate for characterisation of geographic areas in terms of trypanocidal drug resistance using large numbers of trypanosome isolates, for making comparisons between areas, and for monitoring changes in trypanocidal drug resistance over time. Multiple-dose tests may be used to determine the degree of resistance of individual stabilates to be determined precisely in mice are also described, but for logistical reasons these will rarely be conducted on more than a few stabilates, and testing of a larger number of stabilates in the single-dose test will generally provide more useful information. Finally, we describe tests in cattle that may be used to determine the efficacy of recommended curative doses of trypanocidal drugs for the treatment of infection with individual trypanosome isolates, including Trypanosoma vivax, which is rarely infective for mice.

Validation of a polymerase chain reaction assay for monitoring the therapeutic efficacy of diminazene aceturate in trypanosome-infected sheep.

The diagnostic performance of a polymerase chain reaction assay (PCR) for monitoring the effectiveness of aceturate diminazene treatment was compared with those of an antibody-detection ELISA test and the buffy-coat technique using sheep experimentally infected with either savannah-type or forest-type Trypanosoma congolense or T. vivax. Within the period of infection, the PCR using specific savannah-type T. congolense primers showed a significant higher diagnostic sensitivity (p<0.05) than the buffy-coat technique. Both techniques gave closed results for detecting forest-type T. congolense or T. vivax infections. Following trypanocidal treatment, the PCR showed that specific product disappeared definitively 1 or 2 days later in animals in which a decrease of the antibody level and a significant improvement of the red packed cell volume were observed. The occurrence of relapse infection was detected by the PCR in one animal infected by T. vivax on day 19 post-treatment and confirmed by the persistence and increasing antibody level whereas the buffy-coat technique detected parasites 42 days later. Then, the PCR signals remained positive on several occasions while parasitaemia was detected only two times.The application of PCR combined with the antibody detection appeared to provide a useful tool as compared to the buffy-coat technique for monitoring the effectiveness of trypanocidal treatment.