Tsetse blood-meal sources, endosymbionts, and trypanosome infections provide insight into African trypanosomiasis transmission in the Maasai Mara National Reserve, a wildlife-human-livestock interface
Authors: Makhulu Edward Edmond , Villinger Jandouwe , Adunga Vincent Owino , Jeneby Maamun M. , Kimathi Edwin Murungi , Mararo Enock , Wang’ang’a Oundo Joseph , Musa Ali Abdulahi , Wambua Lillian 
Published: April 2020

Background

African trypanosomiasis (AT) is a neglected disease of both humans and animals caused byTrypanosomaparasites, which are transmitted by obligate hematophagous tsetse flies (Glossinaspp.). Understanding of AT transmission is hampered by limited knowledge on interactions of tsetse flies with their vertebrate hosts and the influence of endosymbionts on vector competence, especially in wildlife-human-livestock interfaces. We identified the tsetse species, their blood-meal sources, and the correlation between endosymbiont and trypanosome infection status in the trypanosome-endemic Maasai Mara National Reserve (MMNR) of Kenya.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Among 1167 tsetse flies (1136Glossina pallidipes, 31Glossina swynnertoni) collected from 10 sampling sites, 28 (2.4%) were positive by PCR for trypanosomes, majority (17/28) beingTrypanosoma vivax. Blood-meal analyses based on high-resolution melting analysis of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase 1 and cytochrome b gene PCR products (n = 345) identified humans as the most common vertebrate host (37%), followed by hippopotamus (29.1%), African buffalo (26.3%), elephant (3.39%), and giraffe (0.84%). Trypanosome-infected flies had fed on hippopotamus and buffalo. Additionally, PCR analysis revealed that tsetse flies were more likely to be infected with trypanosomes if they were infected with theSodalis glossinidiusendosymbiont (P = 0.0022 Fisher’s exact test).

Conclusions/Significance

Diverse species of wildlife hosts may contribute to the maintenance of tsetse populations and/or persistent circulation of African trypanosomes in the MMNR. Although the African buffalo is known to be a key reservoir of AT, the higher proportion of hippopotamus blood-meals in trypanosomes-infected flies identified here indicates that other wildlife species may also be important to transmission cycles. No trypanosomes associated with human disease were identified, but the high proportion of human blood-meals identified are indicative of human African trypanosomiasis transmission risk. Furthermore, this work provides data showing thatSodalisendosymbionts can is associated with increased trypanosome infection rates in endemic ecologies.

Author summary

Human and animal African trypanosomiasis are neglected tropical diseases with potential to spread to new areas. Wild animals are important reservoirs for African trypanosomes and crucial in the emergence and re-emergence of AT. Vertebrate host-vector-parasite interactions are integral to trypanosome transmission. We investigated the vertebrate blood-meals and trypanosomes-endosymbionts co-infections in tsetse flies, which have been associated with reservoirs and vector competence, respectively, on AT transmission in Kenya’s Maasai Mara National Reserve. We identified tsetse fly diversity, trypanosome and endosymbiont infection status, and vertebrate blood-meal hosts to infer potential transmission dynamics. We found thatGlossina pallidipeswas the major tsetse fly vector and thatTrypanosoma vivaxwas the main trypanosome species circulating in the region. Humans, hippopotamus, and buffalo were the most frequented for blood-meals. Buffalo and hippopotamus blood-meals were identified in trypanosome infected flies. Feeding of the flies on both humans and wildlife may potentiate the risk of the human trypanosomiasis in this ecology. Additionally, we found that the endosymbiontSodalis glossinidiusis associated with higher trypanosome infection rates in wild tsetse flies. These findings emphasize the importance of understanding the interaction of tsetse flies with vertebrate blood-meal sources and their endosymbionts in the transmission and control of AT.