A 51-year-old man named Robert Bragg reported to a hospital in the United Kingdo

Question

A 51-year-old man named Robert Bragg reported to a hospital in the United Kingdom complaining of general malaise (discomfort), myalgia (muscle pain), fevers, headache, vomiting, and diarrhea. He complained that during the day he felt weak and tired; he was unsure if this was because his symptoms kept him awake at night, or if something else was causing his fatigue. Robert had recently returned from a two-week safari in central Africa. He said that he felt fine during the entire trip, but reported that he had received numerous bug bites while on safari. He also said that while he was in Africa he routinely ate unfamiliar foods, including meats, which may have been prepared and stored under conditions that would not be considered sanitary practices in the United Kingdom. Doctors suspected Robert's symptoms were caused by an infection he developed while on safari. Make a list of human pathogens that are endemic to tub-Saharan Africa and can be transmitted through bug bites or consumption of contaminated foods. Looking over your list, what do you think is the most likely cause(s) of Robert's illness? What tests should doctors conduct to confirm this diagnosis?

Explanation / Answer

Ans:

Since Robert had spent much of his time in the areas where Anopheles mosquitoes that transmit malaria are common, the doctors immediately suspected he is suffering form malaria caused by Trypanosoma brucei.

Transmission through bug bites

(The tsetse fly is found only in Africa and comprises three groups of species, Glossin fusca (or forest tsetse) is of little significance to man, G. palpalis (or riverine tsetse) is responsible for the transmission of T. gambiense, and G. morsitans (or savannah tsetse) is predominantly a vector of T. rhodesiense)

Transmission through contaminated food

Tests to be conducted by the doctors: The following tests to be conducted to detect the presence of parasite/protozoa (Malaria-Trypanosoma brucei : It caused African trypanosomiasis/Sleeping sickness (T. b. rhodesiense and T. b. gambiense )

·         CSF is examined for trypanosomes, elevated WBC count, elevated IgM and elevated total protein levels. CSF examination by PCR for trypanosome DNA can be used

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