TY - JOUR AU - Umukoro, DO AU - Ataikiru, Pd PY - 2015/03/01 Y2 - 2024/03/29 TI - ASSESSING RELIABILITY OF CARD AGGLUTINATION TEST FOR TRYPANOSOMIASIS IN SCREENING GAMBIAN SLEEPING SICKNESS AT ABRAKA ENDEMIC FOCUS JF - African Journal of Tropical Medicine and Biomedical Research JA - AJTMBR VL - 3 IS - 1 SE - ORIGINAL ARTICLES DO - UR - https://ajtmbr.org.ng/index.php/home/article/view/50 SP - 41-45 AB - <p><strong>Introduction: </strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">Human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) is one of the neglected tropical&nbsp; diseases. It is endemic in Abraka, south south , Nigeria . Clinical features of this disease are not&nbsp; sufficiently specific for diagnosis of HAT; a definition diagnosis relies on laboratory&nbsp; examination. The card agglutination test for trypanosomiasis (CATT) is a useful fast practical&nbsp; serological test for HAT screening in endemic areas. There are indications that CATT results&nbsp; may be misleading since it is not 100% sensitive. The objective of the study was to evaluate the&nbsp; reliability of CATT test in Abraka sleeping sickness endemic focus.&nbsp;</span></p><p><strong>Method: </strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">This study was carried out in Oria-Abraka for about two years from march 2013. A&nbsp; total of 254 consenting individuals were screened with CATT reagent. All sero-positive&nbsp; individuals were further subdivided into mild, moderate and severely positive. Detailed clinical&nbsp; examination and parasitological evaluation of blood, csf and aspirates of lymph node, of all&nbsp; seropositive individuals were done to confirm the diagnosis of HAT. 26 seropositive were&nbsp; followed-up for 24months and one for 3months.&nbsp;</span></p><p><strong>Results: </strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">27 of the 254 consenting individual tested positive to CATT test, giving a&nbsp; seropositivity of 10.6%. All the seropositive individuals were parasitologically negative after&nbsp; series of parasitological examinations over 24months period. They were all also positive to&nbsp; malaria parasite test.&nbsp;</span></p><p><strong>Conclusion:</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">Card Agglutination Test for Trypanosomiasis is not specific enough for screening&nbsp; for trypanosome brucei gambiense infestation within the Abraka sleeping sickness endemic&nbsp; focus</span></p> ER -