Trypanosomiasis in Northern Uganda

Extract

In January, 1914, Dr J. H. Reford, Uganda Medical Staff, reported the discovery, in the blood of a dog belonging to a European missionary, of a trypanosome showing marked morphological resemblance to the human parasite, the so-called Trypanosome rhodesiense. The dog had made a single journey through the morsitans belt south of Masindi. It died after a short and severe illness characterised by marked emaciation and keratitis. Dr Reford recognised a certain number of trypanosomes in which the nucleus was displaced posteriorly, and also sundry irregular, more or less rounded-off forms. Miss Robertson, who had just completed a tour in this same fly belt, examined some of Dr Reford's slides and expressed her agreement with his view as to the affinities of the organism to the Rhodesian trypanosome. As she had not met with any trypanosomes of the gambiense-brucei group during her experiments in the same district, Miss Robertson, in a report to the Principal Medical Officer dated 20th January, 1914, laid considerable stress on the importance of the find and discussed at some length the pros and cons of the arrival of the dreaded South African organism in this already overburdened Protectorate.