Overall, the detection sensitivity for our samples was improved by using manual DNA extraction. Regardless of the trypanosome concentration, only 30% of the samples containing trypanosomes presented as positive when extracted using the automated Maxwell® 16 system and screened with the genus-specific primers (Fig. 1). Although it is likely that higher concentrations of cultured trypanosomes would eventually produce a consistently positive result, for the purposes of biological specimens with potentially low parasitaemia, low concentrations were more meaningful.