Further spread of Rhodesian sleeping sickness in Uganda likely due to livestock movements

The northwards spread of human Rhodesian sleeping sickness in Uganda is likely due to the movement of infected livestock, according to new findings from an interdisciplinary research group including members from the Centre for Infectious Diseases, University of Edinburgh; the Ministry of Health, Uganda; and the Universities of Oxford and Southampton.

The current study, published December 15 in the open-access journal PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, provides evidence that the spatial distribution of the disease in a recently affected area is constrained by the location of livestock markets, indicating the role of cattle (the predominant reservoir of disease) in its spread. A complex interaction of environmental and climatic factors was also found to affect distribution of the disease.