Comparative clinical presentation and pathology of some organs in experimentally infected Yankasa sheep with Trypanosoma vivax and Trypanosoma congolense from Nigeria

Authors: CHRISTOPHER OGBAJE, IDRIS LAWAL, JOSEPH AJANUSI

Abstract: A study was conducted to compare the clinical presentation and pathology of some organs associated with experimental infection of Nigeria field isolates of Trypanosoma vivax and Trypanosoma congolense in the Yankasa breed of sheep. Thirty adult Yankasa sheep of both sexes were used. They were screened for hemo-, endo-, and ectoparasites and treated and conditioned for 2 weeks. They were divided into 5 groups (A, B, C, E, and F) of 6 animals each. Two groups each (A, B and E, F) were infected with 2 mL of infected blood containing approximately 2.0 x 10⁶ of T. vivax and T. congolense, respectively. Groups B and F were left untreated and monitored for 7 weeks while groups A and E were treated at the peak of parasitemia with a trypanocide. Group C served as an uninfected control. Clinical signs observed in both groups were anorexia, rough hair coat, ocular discharge, pale mucous membrane, diarrhea, severe weakness, depression, edema of the eye lids in some animals, and emaciation. In addition, teeth grinding and torticollis-like central nervous system disorders were also observed in some animals in group B. Some gross and histopathological lesions were seen in both groups in the lungs, liver, spleen, kidneys, brain, skeletal muscles, and hydropericardium.

Keywords: Trypanosoma, infection, pathology, clinical manifestation, Yankasa sheep

Full Text: PDF