Natural infection of Trypanosoma sp. in domestic sheep from Ecuador

Abstract

Trypanosomosis in sheep is a hemoparasitic disease of worldwide interest due to its effects on the health of animals and the economic impact on producers, is caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma sp. In the present study, the occurrence of Trypanosoma sp. in sheep from the urban-rural area of the canton Salitre was determined, through an applied study with a qualitative descriptive prospective cross-sectional approach, carried out between October 1, 2019, and February 19, 2020. Blood samples were extracted from the jugular vein and analyzed by the blood smear method using the Giemsa and Diff-Quick staining techniques. Previously, in a first study realized between 2018 and 2019, 2 cases (2%) of Trypanosoma sp., 1 case of Babesia sp. (1%), and 4 cases of Anaplasma marginale (4%) were identified, but without the presence of symptoms of the disease. However, in this new research study, of 170 animals sampled from 5 herds and aged between 3 and 8 years, 34 (20%) were positive for Trypanosoma sp., 6 for Babesia sp. (3.52%) and 6 for A. marginale (3.52%) with coinfection between them. In this research, deteriorated clinical aspects and low hematological values were also determined in positive animals; besides of the total of positive cases, 25 presented symptoms of hemoparasitic disease, 3 sheep had abortions and 8 died. The results of this study showed that Trypanosoma sp. could already become an endemic parasitosis in sheep in the country, representing a serious problem of animal health.

Molecular identification of Trypanosoma theileri (Laveran, 1902) in cattle from two slaughterhouses in Ecuador and its relation with other haemotropic agents

“…Our study did not evidence T. evansi in any of the bovine samples from the two slaughterhouses. These values are compatible with previous studies in Ecuador, 31.0% for Trypanosoma spp and 65.5% for A. marginale in the Pastaza province (19) and 86.1% in the Santo Domingo de los Tsachilas province (22), 18.94 and 20.28% for Babesia spp in the Pichincha and Manabí provinces, respectively (25).…”

“…Despite this, there is little information on bovine trypanosomosis in Ecuador; however, Coello Peralta et al found 20% positive samples of Trypanosoma spp. in sheep blood smears (18). Other studies by Medina-Naranjo et al found a seroprevalence of 31.3% for Trypanosoma spp.…”