Experimental infections of laboratory rodents with recently isolated stocks of Trypanosoma brucei gambiense. 1. Parasitological investigations.

Albino rats and white mice were infected with populations of Trypanosoma brucei gambiense isolated from patients in four different areas in Central Africa. Differences in virulence as shown by the level of parasitaemia, number of relapses, and length of survival time, were observed amongst the stocks according to their geographical origin and secondarily to the degree of adaptation to the rodents. All the stocks are pathogenic for the laboratory rodents, and the presence of extravascular trypanosomes in the brain was confirmed in all infected animals. Spleen, liver, and kidneys were less constantly found to be positive. The morphology of the extravascular parasites was highly variable, ranging from long slender trypomastigotes to spheromastigotes and even amastigotes.