# SHERLOCK4AAT, a new molecular method for highly sensitive and specific detection of animal African trypanosomes

Roger Junior Eloiflin, Elena Perez Anton, Aïssata Camara, Annick

Dujeancourt Henry, Jean Mathieu Bart, Lucy Glover, Brice Rotureau

► To cite this version:

Roger Junior Eloiflin, Elena Perez Anton, Aïssata Camara, Annick Dujeancourt Henry, Jean Mathieu Bart, et al.. SHERLOCK4AAT, a new molecular method for highly sensitive and specific detection of animal African trypanosomes. Pasteur Network Annual Meeting, Pasteur Network, Oct 2025, Ho chi Minh city, Vietnam. **hal-05415525**

HAL Id: hal-05415525

https://hal.science/hal-05415525v1

Submitted on 14 Dec 2025

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Distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
# Pasteur Network Annual Meeting 2025

Ho Chi Minh City– Oct. 21-23, 2025

## SHERLOCK4AAT, a new molecular method for highly sensitive and specific detection of animal African trypanosomes

### Aissata CAMARA

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# African trypanosomases

## Human African Trypanosomes

* 2 species: *Tb. gambiense* + *Tb. rhodesiense*

* < 1,000 new cases / year since 2018

* gHAT elimination target

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## Animal African Trypanosomes

* > 7 species

* 50M cattle at risk

* 3M cattle deaths

* US$ 4 billion / year

* AAT control target

New sensitive and specific detection methods required

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# SHERLOCK detection

## SHERLOCK: Specific High-sensitivity Enzymatic Reporter unLOCKing

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Amplify a target region

SENSITIVITY

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SHERLOCK was adapted and validated in the laboratory

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# Different SHERLOCK targets developed for the detection of African animal trypanosomes

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## 18S rRNA

T. congolense-specific

(AJ009146.1)

Amplicon : 116 - 246

5'

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T. theileri-specific

(AJ009163.1)

Amplicon : 1014 - 1158

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T. simiae-specific

(AJ404608.1)

Amplicon : 1246 - 1346

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Pan-Trypanozoon

(TB927_01.rRNA.1)

Amplicon : 1318 - 1433

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Pan-Trypanosomatid

(TB927_01.rRNA.1)

Amplicon : 1535 - 1672

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## IFX

T. vivax-specific
(AJ009163.1)

Amplicon : 686 - 793

5'

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T. suis-specific
(MK962702.1)

Amplicon : 389 - 528

## GAPDH

5'

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607

1824

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# Application to epidemiological surveillance

## Ancient gHAT foci

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## Hypo-endemic gHAT foci

* Prevalence of animal trypanosomes in domestic pigs?

* Importance of domestic pigs as reservoirs of human trypanosomes?

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# Application to epidemiological surveillance

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## Guinea

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<table><thead><tr><th></th><th>No. positive samples</th><th>% infections (n=200)</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Trypanosomatid</strong></td><td>59</td><td>29.5 %</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Trypanozoon</strong></td><td>78</td><td>39.0 %</td></tr><tr><td><strong>T. b. gambiense</strong></td><td>1</td><td>0.50 %</td></tr><tr><td><strong>T. congolense</strong></td><td>15</td><td>7.5 %</td></tr><tr><td><strong>T. vivax</strong></td><td>0</td><td>0.0 %</td></tr><tr><td><strong>T. theileri</strong></td><td>0</td><td>0.0 %</td></tr><tr><td><strong>T. simiae</strong></td><td>0</td><td>0.0 %</td></tr><tr><td><strong>T. suis</strong></td><td>0</td><td>0.0 %</td></tr></tbody></table>

## Ivory Coast

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<table><thead><tr><th></th><th>No. positive samples</th><th>% infections (n=224)</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Trypanosomatid</strong></td><td>90</td><td>41.1 %</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Trypanozoon</strong></td><td>85</td><td>37.9 %</td></tr><tr><td><strong>T. b. gambiense</strong></td><td>1</td><td>0.45 %</td></tr><tr><td><strong>T. congolense</strong></td><td>52</td><td>23.2 %</td></tr><tr><td><strong>T. vivax</strong></td><td>0</td><td>0.0 %</td></tr><tr><td><strong>T. theileri</strong></td><td>0</td><td>0.0 %</td></tr><tr><td><strong>T. simiae</strong></td><td>0</td><td>0.0 %</td></tr><tr><td><strong>T. suis</strong></td><td>1</td><td>0.45 %</td></tr></tbody></table>

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## Take-home message

* SHERLOCK delivers rapid, sensitive, and specific diagnostics

* SHERLOCK can be adapted in RDT format for resource-limited settings

* SHERLOCK can be adapted to different targets (viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites) and contexts (diagnostic and surveillance in Africa, Asia, America)

## Training and Collaboration for Public Health Impact

* Capacity building at IPGui: trainings for research teams from DRC, Cameroon, Burkina Faso, and Côte d'Ivoire

* Collaboration: Adapting the tool for other public health pathogens
# Pasteur Network Annual Meeting 2025

Ho Chi Minh City– Oct. 21-23, 2025

Thank you for your attention

INSTITUT
PASTEUR
de Guinée

PASTEUR NETWORK

Intertryp

Dans les maladies tropicales

Interactions hôtes-vecteurs
-parasites-environnement
négligées dues aux trypanosomatidés

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Roger-Junior Eloiflin

Elena Perez Anton

Aissata CAMARA

Annick Dujeancourt-Henry

Jean-Mathieu Bart

Lucy Glover

Brice Rotureau

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UJLoG

UNIVERSITE
JEAN LOROUGNON GUEDE

INSTITUT
PASTEUR

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SHERLOCK platform
for trypanosomatid Parasites detection.

Agence Nationale de la Recherche

ANR

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