Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Trypanosomosis infection in exotic dogs from Zambia valleys detected
By Namangala, Boniface et al.·Published in The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene·2013·Department of Paraclinical Studies·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Preliminary investigation of trypanosomosis in exotic dog breeds from Zambia's Luangwa and Zambezi valleys using LAMP.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of exotic dogs in Zambia showed signs of illness due to a rare infection called canine African trypanosomosis (CAT), which is caused by parasites. The dogs were tested using a new method called LAMP, which proved effective in confirming the infection and identifying the specific type of parasite involved. Most of the infected dogs had either Trypanosoma congolense or Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense. This study highlights the importance of recognizing CAT in dogs, as it can have implications for both pet health and public safety.
People also search for: dog infection symptoms · trypanosomosis in dogs · exotic dog breeds health issues · canine African trypanosomosis treatment
Abstract
Abstract. Canine African trypanosomosis (CAT) is rarely reported in the literature. In this preliminary study, we evaluated the performance of loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) against microscopy to detect CAT in six exotic dog breeds naturally infected with trypanosomes from Zambia's South Luangwa National Park and Chiawa Game Management Area. To our knowledge, this is the first report of CAT in Zambia. The patients exhibited a variety of aspecific clinical signs. The LAMP did not only confirm all six parasitologically positive CAT cases detected passively between April 2010 and January 2012, but was also critical in trypanosome speciation. According to LAMP, the majority of the dogs had monolytic infections with either Trypanosoma congolense or Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense. The LAMP is thus a potential simple and cost-effective tool for trypanosome diagnosis in endemic regions. The rare report of zoonotic trypanosomes in dogs in Zambia has public health implications and justifies further investigations of CAT.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23716412/