322 TRYPANOSOMA RHODESIENSE [CH. 



Trypanosoma rhodesiense Stephens and Fantham, 19 lo. 



General account. Until 1909 it was generally supposed that 

 human trypanosomiasis was restricted to regions in which 

 Glossina palpalis occurs, for there were no records of any cases 

 occurring outside such areas. 



In that year Hearsey published an account of six cases of 

 trypanosomiasis in persons who had not visited any palpalis 

 region. The infections in every case must have been contracted 

 either in Nyasaland or North-Eastern Rhodesia, or Portuguese 

 East Africa. Subsequently a number of additional cases were 

 recorded, especially along the shores of Lake Nyasa and in 

 the Luangwa Valley. 



In 1910, the first of these cases reached England and was 

 studied at the Royal Southern Hospital, Liverpool. The 

 history of this patient is of some interest as it was in his blood 

 that this trypanosome was first observed, and it is the only 

 strain of the virus which has yet reached Europe. 



W.A., a male aged 26, lirst went to South Africa in July, 

 1904, living in Johannesburg till the end of 1906. He then 

 went to Salisbury for two years. About the end of November, 

 1908, he left Salisbury for North-Eastern Rhodesia with a view 

 to prospecting for minerals. On the journe}' northwards 

 he passed through Fort Jameson, Landazi, and Chinsali to 

 Kasama, arriving at the latter place about the beginning of 

 June, 1909. During this journey the patient traversed an 

 area infested with Glossina morsitans. He stayed two months 

 at Kasama, a place apparently free from tsetse-flies. On 

 the return journey he called at Mpika (where Glossina 

 morsitans occurs), Serenje and Mzaza (G. morsitans present). 

 On September 10, he left Mzaza and travelhng along the 

 Luangwa River reached Feira on September 28. During 

 this part of the journey he would pass through an area infested 

 with Glossina fusca, between Mzaza and Hargreaves. 



The patient first became ill on September 20th, but after a 

 rest of two days continued his journey. A short stay was made 

 at Feira and then the return journey was continued through the 

 Hartley District to Salisbury, where it was found that he wa? 



