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Molecular detection of equine trypanosomes in the Sudan
Bashir Salim1, Mohammed Ahmed Bakheit2, Chihiro Sugimoto3
1Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Khartoum, 13314 Khartoum-North, Sudan; School of Biology, Centre for Genetics and Genomics, The University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK.
Abstract:
Equine trypanosomosis (ET) is a protozoan disease affecting equines in many parts of the world. We examined 509 samples collected from geographically distinct regions in eastern, central and western Sudan to estimate the endemicity of ET using the generic ITS1-PCR diagnostic methods. Results revealed that horses and donkeys were infected by Trypanosoma brucei subgroup, Trypanosoma vivax, Trypanosoma simiae and Trypanosoma congolense. The prevalence of Trypanosoma spp. was higher in horses (12.7%, n=393) than in donkeys (3.4%, n=116). The highest prevalence was observed in South Darfur State (19.3%, n=202), followed by Kassala State (15.1%, n=86), Gadaref State (3.7%, n=82), and Khartoum State (2.6%, n=76). No trypanosomes were detected in the 63 samples collected from North Kurdofan State. We report for the first time the presence of T. simiae and T. congolense in horses in the Sudan. This study should alert veterinary services, authorized bodies to take action toward ET by undertaking countrywide epidemiological studies of the disease and adopting control strategies.
