02403nas a2200229   4500000000100000008004100001260001600042653002200058653001500080653003300095653000900128653001700137100001600154700001200170700001500182245007400197856015300271300000600424490000800430520172100438022001402159       2025                            d  bElsevier BV10aSleeping sickness10aTsetse fly10aTrypanosoma brucei gambiense10aLAMP10aOyo, Nigeria1 aEmmanuel RT1 aZongo K1 aOlusola OO00aToward the elimination of HAT in Nigeria: leaving no community behind  uhttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1201971225000323/pdfft?md5=fe465cb22c359b84425861abe2e19e14&pid=1-s2.0-S1201971225000323-main.pdf  a70 v1523 a<p><strong>Objectives:&nbsp;</strong>Sleeping sickness, also known as human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), is a tsetse fly-borne neglected tropical disease that affects underserved rural communities in sub-Saharan Africa. Despite the advancements in diagnostics, the actual status of sleeping sickness in Nigeria remains unclear. In our quest for clarity, we conducted a human population survey to ascertain the prevalence of HAT in tsetse fly-infested remote rural hamlets.</p>

<p><strong>Methods:&nbsp;</strong>Blood samples were collected from 72 consenting participants by finger pricking. Blood samples were blotted on a Flinders Technology Associate Classic Card and screened for&nbsp;<em>T. b. gambiense</em>&nbsp;infection using colorimetric loop-mediated amplification with&nbsp;<em>Trypanosoma brucei gambiense surface glycoprotein</em>-specific (<em>TgsGP</em>) primers.</p>

<p><strong>Results:&nbsp;</strong>Of the 72 consenting individuals, 40.28% (55.17% men, 44.83% women) were infected with&nbsp;<em>T. b. gambiense</em>&nbsp;(<em>P</em>&nbsp;= 0.738). Age group 51-60 years had the highest prevalence of 77.78% (<em>P</em>&nbsp;= 0.214). The infection rate was higher among uneducated individuals, with a prevalence of 34.48% (<em>P</em>&nbsp;= 0.007). Alaho had the highest prevalence (66.67%), followed by Arabata (38.10%) and Oloya (31.43%) (<em>P</em>&nbsp;= 0.035).</p>

<p><strong>Conclusions:&nbsp;</strong>Silent transmission of HAT is ongoing at the study sites, warranting intensified community sensitization and surveillance scale-up. An urgent, health-guided, strategic control approach is imperative to prevent epidemics in hamlets and a devastating resurgence in Nigeria.</p>
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