Characterization of Trypanosomes Isolated from Bovine and Canine Using Polymerase Chain Reaction.

MERCY OJONE. 79 PAGES (16075 WORDS) Biochemistry Thesis

ABSTRACT Trypanosomiasis is a vector-borne parasitic disease, transmitted to animals by tsetse fly (Glossina genus) bites. The human type causes sleeping sickness in man while animal type causes nagana in animals. The aim of this study is to characterize trypanosomes isolated from dogs and cattle in Jos South Abattoir. Isolated trypanosomes were subjected to polymerase chain reaction using kin primers targeting internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) of ribosomal deoxyribonucleic acids. The PCR allowed detection of three trypanosome livestock species namely T. vivax sub-species (150bp, 250bps); T. congolense (750bp) and T. brucei (540bp). The samples from dogs all showed T. vivax sub-species and one sample showed mixed infection of T. vivax sub-species and T. congolense. The samples from cattle showed mostly mixed infections of T. brucei and T. congolense. The most significant finding is the observation that more than one sub-species of T.vivax is circulating in the Jos area.