Comparative study on the pathogenic effects of Diminazine aceturate sensitive and resistant isolates of <em>Trypanosoma congolense</em> in goats

Abstract

The study was conducted in goats to compare the pathogenic effects of Trypanosome congolense known to be resistant and sensitive to Diminazine aceturate at 7 mg/kg, respectively. Fifteen male goats, 6 to 10 months of age were randomly divided into three groups. The first group (Group A) was artificially infected via intravenous route with the Diminazine aceturate resistant T. congolense isolate while the second group (Group B) received Diminazine aceturate sensitive T. congolense isolate and the third group was left non- infected control (Group C). The goats were clinically monitored for 11 weeks and blood samples were collected three times a week for parasitological and hematological examinations. The mean body temperature was found to fluctuate between (37.2ºC±0.24 ºC and 39.0 ºC ±0.30 ºC 37.5ºC±0.10 ºC and 40.0ºC±0.48 ºC in groups A and B, respectively with statistically significant (p<0.05) differences. A mean parasitaemia score of 2.5±0.48 and 4.0±0.0.50 was recorded in groups A and B, respectively with significant variation (p<0.05). The mean packed cell volume was also varied between 27.0%±0.48% to 18.5%±0.36% and 26.0%±0.25% to 17.4%±0.0.47% in groups A and B, respectively with statistically significant (p<0.05) difference. A marked decline in mean packed cell volume and raise in parasitaemia was noticeable in group B as compared to group A. The difference in packed cell volume among the groups was statistically significant (p<0.05). In the control group, the mean body temperature and packed cell volume recorded was in the physiological range throughout the trial period. The present study disclosed that in spite of differences in the level of parasitaemia, anemia was found to be the prominent clinico-pathological finding in both Diminazine aceturate resistant and sensitive isolates of T. congolense infected goats.