Observations on the tolerance of young dogs (puppies) to infection with Trypanosoma congolense

Studies were undertaken to assess the susceptibility of young local dogs to infection with Trypanosoma congolensei. Six puppies (7 weeks old) were used for the study. Although the puppies became parasitaemic 6 to 7 days post infection, they were tolerant to infection as the parasitaemia remained low through out the first seven weeks of the eight week observation period. The packed cell volume (PCV) also only dropped slightly during the last four weeks attaining the value of 25.6 + 3.8 (p>0.05) by the eighth week while the mean body weight continued to increase. Similarly, the mean daily body temperature did not differ significantly from those of un-infected control. The significance of trypanotolerance in Nigerian local dogs is discussed. Key Words: local puppies, low parasitaemia, packed cell volume, Trypanosoma congolense, trypanotolerance, Nigerian Afr. J. Clin. Exper. Microbiol. Vol.6(1) 2005: 28-33