A rare case of trypanosomiasis in a two month old infant in Mumbai, India.

Human Trypanosomiasis is a rare occurrence in India. In the cases reported so far the disease causative species have been the species infective to animals viz., Trypanosoma lewisi and Trypanosoma evansi. These animal species usually non pathogenic in humans can acquire the desired virulence and emerge as human pathogens causing serious disease, in the right combination of environmental, host related and organism related factors. We report here a case of trypanosomiasis caused by the rodent parasite T. lewisi in a two months old infant in urban Mumbai. Under the fastly changing environmental scenario there is an urgent need to be prepared for the emerging zoonoses. Any unusual disease occurrence in a given geographical area acquires a special significance in this context and should be reported to assess its public health importance and be prepared to deal with the consequent challenges posed, if any.

Effect of trypanosoma lewisi infection on the toxoplasma gondii multiplication in white rat peritoneal macrophages

Peritoneal macrophages (PM) from normal Wistar rats were treated in vitro with peritoneal supernatant or sera, obtained from rats infected with 106 Trypanosoma lewisi trypomastigotes before the infection with Toxoplasma gondii tachyzoites. In this experimental model, Toxoplasma multiplication in PM was increased, as compared to macrophages treated with supernatant or sera from control rats not infected with T. lewisi. This effect was observed only if the active supernatant or sera came from rats infected with the T. lewisi 3 to 6 d before Toxoplasma inoculation. Furthermore, immunosuppressive activity was only detectable after at least 24 h incubation with the supernatant or sera. These results are in accordance with our in vivo previous studies which demonstrated a clear immunosuppressive effect of T. lewisi during T.gondii infection of the remarkably resistant Wistar rats.