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Comparative pathogenicity of drug-resistant and drug-sensitive Trypanosoma brucei and Trypanosoma congolense infections in Nigerian local dogs

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Abstract

Animal trypanosomosis is an important endemic and wasting disease in sub-Saharan Africa. Its control relies on chemotherapy, and resistance to trypanocides has been widely reported. The pathogenicity of drug-resistant canine trypanosomes is not clear with scanty information available. Thus, this study assessed the comparative pathogenicity of drug-resistant and drug-sensitive Trypanosoma brucei and Trypanosoma congolense infections in dogs. Twenty Nigerian local dogs were used and were randomly assigned into five groups (A–E) of four dogs each. Group A served as the uninfected-control group, while groups B and C were infected with 106 drug-sensitive T. congolense and T. brucei. Groups D and E were infected with 106 multidrug-resistant T. congolense and T. brucei, respectively. The pre-patent period (PPP), clinical signs, level of parasitaemia (LOP), rectal temperature, body weight, packed cell volume (PCV), red blood cell count (RBC), haemoglobin concentration (HbC), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH), mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC), total leucocyte count (TLC) and survivability were assessed. Groups D and E had longer (p < 0.05) mean PPP than groups B and C. Also, group E dogs had lower (p < 0.05) mean LOP, longer (p < 0.05) mean survivability, and higher (p < 0.05) mean body weight, PCV, HbC and RBC than group C dogs. The clinical signs were very severe in group C dogs, compared to group E dogs. However, these parameters did not differ statistically between groups B and D. Thus, multidrug-resistant T. brucei was of lower pathogenicity than drug-sensitive T. brucei, while multidrug-resistant and drug-sensitive T. congolense had comparable pathogenicity following infection in dogs.

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Data availability

All additional data associated with this study can be obtained from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Funding

This study was supported by the Nigerian Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) through the TETFUND Institution Based Research (IBR) intervention (TETFUND/ DESS/UNI/NSUKKA/2018/RP/VOL.1).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Veterinary Parasitology and Entomology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria

    Chukwunonso F. Obi, Michael I. Okpala, Ikenna O. Ezeh & Romanus C. Ezeokonkwo

  2. Department of Veterinary Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria

    Davinson C. Anyogu

  3. Department of Veterinary Parasitology and Entomology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State, Nigeria

    Amaechi Onyeabor

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  1. Chukwunonso F. Obi
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  4. Amaechi Onyeabor
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Contributions

RCE, IOE and CFO contributed to the study design and conception; RCE secured funding; CFO, MIO, DCA, AO and IOE performed the experiment; CFO conducted the statistical analysis of the data and wrote the first draft of the manuscript; RCE, IOE and CFO reviewed and edited the manuscript. All the authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Chukwunonso F. Obi.

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Valid ethical clearance (FVM-UNN-IACUC-2019–0922) was gotten from the University of Nigeria Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. More so, the University of Nigeria, national and international guidelines for the ethical care and use of animals were fully observed.

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Obi, C.F., Okpala, M.I., Anyogu, D.C. et al. Comparative pathogenicity of drug-resistant and drug-sensitive Trypanosoma brucei and Trypanosoma congolense infections in Nigerian local dogs. Parasitol Res 122, 49–60 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-022-07688-0

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