Meningoencephalitis in chronic Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense infection of the white mouse
Fink, E.; Schmidt, H.
Tropenmedizin und Parasitologie 30(2): 206-211
1979
ISSN/ISBN: 0303-4208 PMID: 113916 Document Number: 148426
A recently isolated strain of Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense (EATRO 1989) induced a chronic infection in most of 180 intraperitoneally-infected NMRI mice. The average survival time was 6 to 9 weeks. Investigation of 22 mice, killed between 7 and 42 days after infection, revealed the development of meningitis one week after infection. A generalized meningitis and secondary encephalitis were seen, on average, 4 weeks after infection. The meningoencephalitic alterations were regularly associated with trypanosome aggregates in the connective tissue of the plexus of all ventricles. The histological alterations in the brain were similar to those seen in late stage human trypanosomiasis and it is suggested that T. rhodesiense infection of white mice may offer a suitable model for the study of meningoencephalitis in human trypanosomiasis and for the screening of trypanocidal drugs.