Field investigation and comparative evaluation of diagnostic tests of Trypanosoma evansi in camels in Egypt

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Parasitology Departement,Faculty of Veterinary Medicine,Alexandria University

Abstract

Trypanosomosis is a chronic disease of camels caused by Trypanosoma evansi which is transmitted mechanically by Tabanus and Stomoxys spp. It has a worldwide distribution. In the present study, 259 male camels admitted to Kom-Hammada abattoir, Behera province were examined parasitologically for presence of T.evansi by Giemsa stained blood smears (GSBS), microhaematocrit centrifugation technique (MHCT) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The study revealed that total prevalence of T.evansi was 0.68% (2/295) using GSBS and 0.96% (2/209) using MHCT. While molecular examination of 100 samples by PCR gave a prevalence of 63%. Our results revealed that, using of PCR technique in diagnosis of trypanosomosis is more sensitive and specific especially in low infection rate cases as well as it is of potential role in epidemiological studies.

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