Symptoms and Response to Treatment with Diminazene Aceturate and Mebendazole in Dogs Infected with Single Trypanosoma congolense, Ancylostoma caninum and Combination of Trypanosoma congolense and Ancylostoma caninum

Abstract

The economic losses associated with diseases caused by Trypanosoma congolense and the devastating effect of Ancylostoma caninum (A. caninum) in dogs’ necessitated the present study. Sixteen dogs grouped into 4 of 4 members each were used in the study. GROUP I was uninfected dogs (control), GROUP II was infected with Trypanosoma congolense (T. congolense) infection, GROUP III was mixed infections of Trypanosoma congolense and Ancylostoma caninum (T. congolense /A. caninum) and GPIV was infected with Ancylostoma caninum. At first Ancylostoma caninum infection was done on GPIII and GPIV. Two weeks later T. congolense infections was done on GPII and superimposed on GPIII. Three weeks post trypanosome infection; GPII and GPIII were treated with diminazene aceturate. Mebendazole was used on GPIII and GPIV and treatment repeated 2 weeks later. The prepatent period of T. congolense infection was 14.00±1.40 days in single infection and 9.00±1.10 days in conjunct infection of T. congolense and A. caninum. Persistent parasitaemia resulted in repeated treatment with diminazene aceturate at 7 mg/kg and mebendazole at 100mg twice daily for 3 days. The predominant signs revealed include; lethargy, vomition, enlargement of popliteal lymphnodes, pyrexia, oedema of fore and hind limbs and ocular discharges, anaemia, and slight emaciation. The symptoms were more severe in GPIII compared to GPII and GPIV. The egg per gram of faeces (EPG) in (GPIV) was significantly higher than the conjunct infection (GPIII). Treatment only slightly improved clinical manifestations. In conclusion, conjunct infections of T. congolense / A. caninum would result to more severe disease condition than in single infection of either disease in dogs. The severity of symptoms of the diseases were more in conjunct T. congolense / A. caninum as evidenced by high mortality compared with the single infections. Therefore symptoms of the diseases could serve as a surrogate diagnostic tool in diagnosis and vigorous treatment of infected dogs.