Patterns in age-seroprevalence consistent with acquired immunity against Trypanosoma brucei in Serengeti lions.

Trypanosomes cause disease in humans and livestock throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Although various species show evidence of clinical tolerance to trypanosomes, until now there has been no evidence of acquired immunity to natural infections. We discovered a distinct peak and decrease in age prevalenc...

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Main Authors: Sue Welburn, Kim Picozzi, Paul G Coleman, Craig Packer
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2008-01-01
Series:PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
Online Access:https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0000347&type=printable
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author Sue Welburn
Kim Picozzi
Paul G Coleman
Craig Packer
author_facet Sue Welburn
Kim Picozzi
Paul G Coleman
Craig Packer
author_sort Sue Welburn
collection DOAJ
description Trypanosomes cause disease in humans and livestock throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Although various species show evidence of clinical tolerance to trypanosomes, until now there has been no evidence of acquired immunity to natural infections. We discovered a distinct peak and decrease in age prevalence of T. brucei s.l. infection in wild African lions that is consistent with being driven by an exposure-dependent increase in cross-immunity following infections with the more genetically diverse species, T. congolense sensu latu. The causative agent of human sleeping sickness, T. brucei rhodesiense, disappears by 6 years of age apparently in response to cross-immunity from other trypanosomes, including the non-pathogenic subspecies, T. brucei brucei. These findings may suggest novel pathways for vaccinations against trypanosomiasis despite the notoriously complex antigenic surface proteins in these parasites.
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institution OA Journals
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1935-2735
language English
publishDate 2008-01-01
publisher Public Library of Science (PLoS)
record_format Article
series PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
spelling doaj-art-af87f894c2904de4a997fcf44b16fc6d2025-08-20T02:14:30ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases1935-27271935-27352008-01-01212e34710.1371/journal.pntd.0000347Patterns in age-seroprevalence consistent with acquired immunity against Trypanosoma brucei in Serengeti lions.Sue WelburnKim PicozziPaul G ColemanCraig PackerTrypanosomes cause disease in humans and livestock throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Although various species show evidence of clinical tolerance to trypanosomes, until now there has been no evidence of acquired immunity to natural infections. We discovered a distinct peak and decrease in age prevalence of T. brucei s.l. infection in wild African lions that is consistent with being driven by an exposure-dependent increase in cross-immunity following infections with the more genetically diverse species, T. congolense sensu latu. The causative agent of human sleeping sickness, T. brucei rhodesiense, disappears by 6 years of age apparently in response to cross-immunity from other trypanosomes, including the non-pathogenic subspecies, T. brucei brucei. These findings may suggest novel pathways for vaccinations against trypanosomiasis despite the notoriously complex antigenic surface proteins in these parasites.https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0000347&type=printable
spellingShingle Sue Welburn
Kim Picozzi
Paul G Coleman
Craig Packer
Patterns in age-seroprevalence consistent with acquired immunity against Trypanosoma brucei in Serengeti lions.
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
title Patterns in age-seroprevalence consistent with acquired immunity against Trypanosoma brucei in Serengeti lions.
title_full Patterns in age-seroprevalence consistent with acquired immunity against Trypanosoma brucei in Serengeti lions.
title_fullStr Patterns in age-seroprevalence consistent with acquired immunity against Trypanosoma brucei in Serengeti lions.
title_full_unstemmed Patterns in age-seroprevalence consistent with acquired immunity against Trypanosoma brucei in Serengeti lions.
title_short Patterns in age-seroprevalence consistent with acquired immunity against Trypanosoma brucei in Serengeti lions.
title_sort patterns in age seroprevalence consistent with acquired immunity against trypanosoma brucei in serengeti lions
url https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0000347&type=printable
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AT paulgcoleman patternsinageseroprevalenceconsistentwithacquiredimmunityagainsttrypanosomabruceiinserengetilions
AT craigpacker patternsinageseroprevalenceconsistentwithacquiredimmunityagainsttrypanosomabruceiinserengetilions