Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Trypanosome infections found in German shepherd dogs in Sudan
By Mossaad, Ehab et al.·Published in Parasitology research·2017·Department of Pathology·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: The incrimination of three trypanosome species in clinically affected German shepherd dogs in Sudan.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of German shepherd dogs in Sudan showed signs of illness due to a disease called canine trypanosomiasis, which is caused by parasites transmitted by tsetse flies. Out of 50 dogs tested, 30% had antibodies indicating exposure to one type of trypanosome, while 34% had the actual parasite DNA in their systems. The study found that at least three different types of trypanosomes were affecting these dogs. This highlights the role of dogs in spreading these parasites to other animals. Treatment options were not specified, but identifying the infection is crucial for managing the health of affected dogs.
People also search for: German shepherd dog illness · canine trypanosomiasis symptoms · dog parasite treatment
Abstract
Canine trypanosomosisis (CT) is a common disease caused by tsetse- and non-tsetse-transmitted trypanosomes worldwide. The severity of the disease varies from acute, sub-acute to chronic with non-specific clinical signs. Here, we attempt in a cross-sectional study to assess the current situation of CT and the role of dogs in transmitting trypanosomes to other domesticated animals. The study was carried out during July 2016 on 50 caged German shepherd dogs in Khartoum State to investigate the prevalence of dog trypanosomosis using both serological (CATT/Trypanosoma evansi) and molecular (KIN-PCR, RoTat1.2 VSG-PCR and TviCatL-PCR) tests to detect possible trypanosome infections. CATT/T. evansi detected antibodies against T. evansi in 15 (30%) dogs, while parasite DNA was detected in 17 (34%) dogs by RoTat1.2 PCR. In contrast, a KIN-PCR detected the subgenus Trypanozoon, Trypanosoma congolense savannah, T. congolense Kenya and T. vivax in 36 (72%), 3 (6%), 1 (2%), and 2 (4%) dogs, respectively. However, a species-specific PCR for Trypanosoma vivax was detected 7 (14%) positive cases. We concluded that CT was caused by at least three species of trypanosomes, namely T. evansi, T. vivax and T. congolense. Trypanozoon other than T. evansi could not be ruled out since other tsetse-transmitted trypanosomes have also been detected and species-specific PCRs were not used. This study illustrates that dogs play an important role in the transmission dynamic and the epidemiology of the abovementioned trypanosome species.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28856450/