Pathologic Changes in Lung Morphology in Experimental <i>Klebsiella pneumoniae</i> and <i>Trypanosoma brucei</i> co-Infection in West African Dwarf

Abstract

The bacteria Klebsiella pneumoniae easily takes advantage of compromised immune status to induce pathologies on their hosts. This study investigated pulmonary pathomorphologies associated with experimental co-infection of Klebsiella pneumoniae and Trypanosoma brucei in West African Dwarf goats. Fifteen clinically healthy male goats of about six months of age were used in this study. They were randomly assigned into five groups of three each. Group I was the uninfected/negative control; Group II was infected with K. pneumoniae only as positive control I; Group III with T. brucei followed by acute K. pneumoniae infection at day 7 post T. brucei infection; Group IV with T. brucei followed by sub-acute K. pneumoniae at day 14 post T. brucei and Group V with T. brucei only, as positive control II. Throughout the study period, K. pneumoniae was only re-isolated from goats in Grp IV. Grossly, no lesions were observed in the lungs of goats in Grp II, while lungs of goats in Grp III showed mild consolidation in the cardiac lobes. Lungs of Grp IV goats showed multifocal abscessation and red hepatisation, and Grp V had widespread hyperaemia in all lobes. The histology showed mild intra-alveolar exudations and alveolar collapse in Grp II, mild to moderate cellular infiltrations and sero-fibrinous exudations in Grp III, and severe bronchopneumonia with fibrino-purulent exudations in Grp IV. Grp V had generalised oedema and hyperaemia. This study has shown that Trypanosoma brucei immunosuppresses infected goats, making them vulnerable to pneumopathies from Klebsiella pneumoniae.