Treatment Failure in Camel Trypanosomosis in Uaso Region of Kenya

抄録

A study was conducted in Uaso area on the border of Isiolo and Laikipia districts in Kenya to determine the cause(s) of treatment failure in camel trypanosomosis. Ten trypanosome isolates from infected camels were characterized by morphology and procyclic transformation test. Their sensitivity to quinapyramine sulphate and melarsomine were then determined using an in vitro assay system. Six isolates were Trypanosoma evansi, three T. congolense and one had both T. congolense and T. evansi. All the T. congolense isolates were resistant to melarsomine at 1.2 mg/kg bwt whereas one was resistant to the quinapyramine sulphate at 7.4 mg/kg bwt. On the other hand one of the six T. evansi isolates, one was resistant to melarsomine at 1.2 mg/kg bwt and three to quinapyramine sulphate. Camel owners got little veterinary advice leading to wrong models administration of trypanocides, underdosing and use of unrecommended drugs. The efficacy of trypanocides in the area appears to be hampered by drug resistance and inappropriate drug use. Uaso falls within a tsetse belt and as such camels are susceptible to infection with tsetse transmitted trypanosomes．A drug effective against T. evansi，T. congolense and T. brucei brucei should therefore be used in the treatment of trypanosomosis in camels in this area. They should be educated on the proper use of trypanocidal drugs.