Interference between drug-resistant and drug-sensitive stocks of Trypanosoma congolense in goats

A study was undertaken in goats to investigate the ability of two unrelated stocks of Trypanosoma congolense, one of which is highly sensitive to isometamidium chloride and one which is drug-resistant, to become established in the presence of an existing infection with the other stock. The goats, which were initially infected with the sensitive strain and were then challenged with the resistant strain, were cured by treatment at 0.1 mg kg-1 isometamidium, indicating that the resistant stock did not establish an infection. Goats initially infected with the resistant stock, which were then challenged with the sensitive stock, experienced temporary remission of infection followed by relapse after treatment at 0.1 mg kg-1 isometamidium. In contrast, the goat infected only with the resistant stock remained parasitaemic following treatment at 0.1 mg kg-1. This suggests that superinfection with the sensitive stock resulted in the establishment of infection, which suppressed the resistant stock to below the limit of detection of the method used. These observations suggest that isometamidium-resistant stocks may be less viable than sensitive strains, and could explain the relative scarcity of isometamidium resistant in the field.