Diagnostic methods in animal trypanosomiasis

The methods of diagnosis of pathogenic African trypanosomiasis of livestock are reviewed in this paper. Clinical diagnosis, although it may be important in some situations, is not considered specific enough for accurate assessment of the parasites to which a herd may be exposed and is therefore not discussed. Techniques for the diagnosis of the animal trypanosomiases can be divided into parasitological and immunological methods. Those in the process of development in the laboratory and in routine use in the field are assessed in relation to their specificity, the rapidity of the diagnostic method, their reliability and applicability under field conditions. The ideal of a rapid specific parasitological technique may be difficult to attain and local conditions (size of herd; information required by authorities) will determine whatever alternative technique is to be used and which of the criteria (e.g. rapidity, or specificity of diagnosis) should be sacrificed to obtain the required information if time, resources and personnel are limited.