Page 114 - Studia Universitatis Hereditati, vol 12(1) (2024)

who were infected mostly did not experience any increase in motor vehicles played a very key role
symptoms or sign for months or even years de- in reducing the intensity of the spread of trypa-
pending on the nature of the trypanosome. For nosomiasis. A report to the director of medical
this reason, they served not only as individuals health (Accra) stated that there had been an in-
who had been infected by trypanosomiasis, but crease in the number of vehicles on the Kumase–
also became causative agents. Tamale roads and the reduction in the disease
On the other hand, cattle that were was partly as a result of the noise from these ve-
brought from foreign lands to the Gold Coast hicles which is said to have disturbed and driven
contributed greatly to the spread of trypanoso- the game further away and caused the tsetse flies
miasis. Bearl, in a letter explaining the origin of to follow (PRAAD, Kumase, ARG1/14/16, The
animal trypanosomiasis in Asante, hinted that Influence of Wild Game on Tsetse Distribution,
the principal source of supply of cattle for the 1926). Consequently, the development of roads
114 Gold Coast and Asante was from the territo- concurrently with urbanization and moderniza-
ries of Haute Senegal and Niger and Haute Vol- tion played a very key role in eliminating trypa-
ta, and the French territories. These cattle were nosomiasis, especially when these developments
studia universitatis hereditati, letnik 12 (2024), številka 1 / volume 12 (2024), number 1
infected with trypanosome vivax and trypano- came with mass clearing of forests.
some brucei which were not severe, or in oth- Wi th regard to the forest regions, in-
er words, were less virulent in cattle. This made cluding Asante, an imminent danger was point-
it difficult for an infected cow to be identi- ed out by one entomologist, Dr Morris, who
fied. Therefore, most of these cattle brought concluded that of the vectors that cause sleep-
from the north to Asante were already infect- ing sickness, G. longipalpis was probably sec-
ed (PRAAD, Kumase, ARG1/14/16, Dispatch ond to G. palpalis in the distribution of the dis-
from the Secretary of State to the Governor, ease in the Gold Coast (PRAAD, Accra, ADM
16th December 1925). This was attributed to the 11/1/156, Human Trypanosomiasis Commit-
fact that quarantine centres for livestock in the tee and best means of combating, 1935). It was
northern territory chiefly dealt with appreciable known that the forest of the Gold Coast was
diseases such as cattle plaque, lung sickness and receding from both north and south. This re-
anthrax, and after a few days of checks at the var- cession was due principally to the practice of
ious quarantine stations the cattle were passed shifting cultivation, assisted by the mining com-
as having a clean bill of health. From here, they
commenced their trek down to the various mar- munities, which induced a secondary type of
ket centres in the south. Trypanosomiasis tests scrub, which was very difficult to deal with, but
were not conducted on these animals and Bearl eminently suited the colonization of G. longi-
suggested that this was as a result of limited per- palpis (PRAAD, Accra, ADM 11/1/156, Human
sonnel at the quarantine stations. For this rea- Trypanosomiasis Committee and best means of
son, most of these cattle were brought to the combating, 1935).
various Asante markets possibly infected with Colonial Policies/Strategies and
trypanosomiasis. Collaboration with the Indigenous People
By September 1942, there were forty-one in Combatting the Asante Trypanosomiasis
reported cases of trypanosomiasis resulting in
two deaths in Asante. However, by December Creation of Trypanosomiasis Committee
1947, there were only two reported cases; both The first step taken by the colonial adminis-
victims did not survive the scourge of the dis- tration was the setting up of a trypanosomia-
ease (MAG, Kumase, MAG 1/1/35, Reports of sis committee and the committee of civil re-
the Medical Officer of health Kumase, 1942). search. The trpanosomiasis committee and the
Surprisingly, the construction of roads, and the committee of civil research were appointed