%0 Journal Article
%T Molecular epidemiology of camel trypanosomiasis based on ITS1 rDNA and RoTat 1.2 VSG gene in the Sudan
%A Bashir Salim
%A Mohammed A Bakheit
%A Joseph Kamau
%A Ichiro Nakamura
%A Chihiro Sugimoto
%J Parasites & Vectors
%D 2011
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1756-3305-4-31
%X The results showed that all PCR-positive camels were infected with a single parasite species; Trypanosoma evansi. The highest prevalence, 57.1% (117/205), was observed in the Butana plains of mid-Eastern Sudan and the lowest, 6.0% (4/67), was in the Umshadeeda eastern part of White Nile State. In another experiment, the RoTat 1.2 gene encoding the variable surface glycoprotein (VSG) of T. evansi was analyzed for its presence or absence by a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using T. evansi species-specific primers. The study showed that the RoTat 1.2 VSG gene was absent in thirteen out of thirty T. evansi-positive samples.It is concluded that camel trypanosomiasis in Sudan is apparently caused by a single parasite species T. evansi and there were no other typanosomes species detected. In addition, the disease is highly prevalent in the country, which strengthens the need to change control policies and institute measures that help prevent the spread of the parasite. To our knowledge, this is the first molecular diagnosis report, which gives a picture of camel trypanosomiasis covering large geographical areas in Sudan.Trypanosoma evansi is the most widely distributed pathogenic animal trypanosome, affecting domesticated livestock in Asia, Africa, Central and South America, Europe, and recently a case of human infection has been reported in India making it a potential human pathogen [1].In arid-semiarid areas in Africa (Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia, Sudan, Chad, Nigeria and French West Africa), camels are affected most by the parasite. In Central and South America, horses are the main hosts followed by cattle [2].Trypanosoma simiae was identified as the cause of an outbreak in dromedaries in a Kenyan national park, confirming the susceptibility of camels to this pathogen [3]. T. simiae was also documented as a camel pathogen in Somalia [4]. Wernery and Kaaden [5] experimentally confirmed that dromedaries were sensitive to T. brucei and particularly to Trypanosoma congolense.
%U http://www.parasitesandvectors.com/content/4/1/31