On the peculiar morphology of a trypanosome from a case of sleeping sickness and the possibility of its being a new species : (T. rhodesiense) / by J.W.W. Stephens and H.B. Fantham.

  • John William Watson Stephens
Date:
1910?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the peculiar morphology of a trypanosome from a case of sleeping sickness and the possibility of its being a new species : (T. rhodesiense) / by J.W.W. Stephens and H.B. Fantham. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    to prospecting for minerals. The party consisted of two Europeans and ten natives. On the journey northwards he passed through Fort Jameson, Landazi, and Chinsali to Kasama, where he arrived about the beginning of June, 1909. During this northward journey, W. A. passed through an area infested by Glossina morsitans. He stayed two months at Kasama, a place from which we have no records of any species of Glossina.* On the return journey he passed through Mpika (where Glossina morsitans occurs), Serenje (no records of Glossina), and Mzaza (where there is Glossina morsitans). He left Mzaza on September 10, and travelling along the Luangwa River he reached Feira on September 28. During this part of the journey he would pass through an area infested by Glossina fusca, between Mzaza and Hargreaves. He first fell ill on September 20, but after a rest of two days continued his journey. A short stay was made at Feira and then the return journey was continued through the Hartley district to Salisbury, where it was found that he and one native were suffering from trypanosomiasis—parasites being found in his blood in Africa on November 17, 1909. The patient stated that he had never been near either Lake Tanganyika, Lake Mweru or the Luapula River, which are known to be infested by Glossina palpalis, He thought, himself, that he contracted trypanosomiasis while travelling along the Luangwa River, between Mzaza and Feira. The Luangwa Valley is heavily infested with Glossina morsitans, but Glossina palpalis has not yet been found along the course of this river. Dr. Bagshawe’s article, already noted, on “The Transmission in Nature of Trypanosoma gambiense,” should be consulted as to cases of Sleeping Sickness contracted in areas infested by Glossina morsitans. We may note that the case of W. A. has been studied by R. Ross and D. Thomson,f who have found a regular periodical increase in the numbers of the trypanosomes in the peripheral blood of the patient from day to day. It is also of interest to record that the Rhodesian strain of trypanosome from W. A. is somewhat more virulent to rats and guinea-pigs than the old laboratory strain of 7. gambiense, a fact already confirmed by other workers in the laboratory. Further, this Rhodesian trypanosome is resistant to atoxyl. Morphological Features. It may be stated at once that the peculiarity of this Rhodesian trypanosome is that among the stout or stumpy forms some have the nucleus at the posterior (non-flagellar) end. * Bagshawe, 8.S. Bulletin, No. 18, June, 1910, p. 197. t ‘Roy. Soc. Proc.,’ B, 1910, vol. 82, pp. 411-415.
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