PARASITOLOGICAL AND MOLECULAR STUDIES ON TRYPANOSOMA EVANSI OF CAMELS IN EGYPT

Abstract

This study was conducted on a total of 187 one humped camels (Camelus dromedarius). Blood samples were collected from 40 camels suspected forTrypanosoma infection from farms at Giza Pyramids area. In addition, 147 samples were collected from apparently healthy camels (97 and 50 from El-Bassatin and El-Warraq abattoirs respectively) for screening of Trypanosoma species infection. All samples were examined parasitologically by Giemsa stained blood smear and haematocrit centrifugation technique, serologically by card agglutination test (CATT) for detection of anti-trypanosomal antibodies and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for DNA amplification with aspecific primers for detection of trypanozoan parasites. Out of 187 camels, 14 camels were positive by parasitological methods with a percentage of 7.49%, 21 positive samples were detected by anti- Trypanosoma antibodies using CATT with a percentage of 11.23%. Fourteen out of the positive blood samples by parasitological and serological techniques were used for PCR amplification. Thirteen out of 14 positive blood samples were PCR-positive and one was negative by using specific primers for T. evansi minicircle EVA1 and EVA2. The results of examined camels after using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for detection of DNA of trypanosomes in infected camels, showed 138 bp PCR product for the specific detection of Trypanosoma evansi. It was concluded that the use of PCR, beside parasitological and serological methods, is recommended for exact diagnosis in survey and control programmes ofTrypanosoma evansi.