Prevalence of Human African Trypanosomiasis in Communities Adjacent to Tsetse-Infested Forests in Ekiti State, South West Nigeria

Human African trypanosomiasis, or sleeping sickness, is a neglected tropical disease caused by Trypanosoma brucei species and transmitted by Glossina tsetse flies in forest and savanna-woodland ecotones. Although historically confined to central Africa, sporadic foci persist in forested zones of southwestern Nigeria. This study surveys the prevalence of human African trypanosomiasis in communities adjacent to tsetse-infested forest reserves in Ekiti State, South West Nigeria. A cross-sectional design was used, enrolling 250 adults from four communities bordering Ise-Emure and Ado-Ekiti forest areas. Blood samples were screened using the card agglutination test for trypanosomiasis, and positives confirmed by buffy coat examination and lymph node aspiration microscopy. Data on forest entry frequency, occupation, tsetse bite history, and livestock ownership were collected through structured questionnaires. Recent literature from 2020 to 2024 highlights ongoing tsetse challenge in Nigerian forest margins and limited human trypanosomiasis surveillance capacity at the state level. This study will document community-level seroprevalence and identify occupational and behavioural risk factors for exposure. Findings will be submitted to the Ekiti State Ministry of Health and the WHO Country Office for Nigeria as baseline surveillance data. Keywords: human African trypanosomiasis, Trypanosoma brucei, tsetse fly, Ekiti State, seroprevalence.