PARASITOLOGICAL AND SEROLOGICAL DIAGNOSIS OF TRYPANOSOMA EVANSI INFECTION IN CAMELS
Ibrahim G.H Radwan
Parasitology Department, Animal Health Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center, Egypt
Trypanosomiasis in camel caused by Trypanosoma evansi is still a serious problem in camel husbandry causes considerable economic losses in many camel-rearing regions of the world. Also, animal trypanosomiasis presents special problems with regard to diagnosis. The clinical signs are not pathgnomonic, so in the present study 141Arabian one-humped camels (Camelus dromedarius) slaughtered at El-Bassatien abattoir were examined by parasitological examination (wet preparation, stained blood smear, microhaematocrite and mouse intraperitoneal inoculation). The rate of infection in the collected samples were 3.5, 5.7, 5.7 and 12% respectively. Serological examination was applied using ELISA and card agglutination test (CATT) for detection of anti-trypanosomal antibodies. The rate of infection were 63 and 35.5% respectively. The DNA amplification by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was applied with specific primers for detection of trypanozoan parasites. Eight samples of the positive blood samples were PCR-positive by using specific primers for T. evansi minicircle EVA1 and EVA2. The results of examined camels after using PCR for detection of DNA of trypanosomes in infected camels showed a 138bp. PCR proved to be the best test for detection of camel trypanosomiasis in Egypt. From the above results, PCR can detect low parasitemic camels in chronic cases.
June 2015