Trypanosoma evansi in dogs from Barão de Melgaço, Mato Grosso: Molecular prevalence

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Trypanosoma evansi, the hemoflagellate pathogen that causes “surra,” is a protozoan that infects the widest variety of mammals worldwide, primarily horses, camels, dogs, and wild animals. Cases of canine trypanosomiasis caused by T.evansi have been reported in the Brazilian pantonal region. This study determined the prevalence of T.evansi and investigate risk factors. The study used blood samples from dogs in the municipality of Barão de Melgaço in the pantonal of the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil. The owner was given a structured epidemiological questionnaire containing information about the risk factors. The quantitative polymerase chain reaction technique was used to detect T.evansi DNA using species-specific oligonucleotides TevF and TevR of the gene encoding a 227-bp portion of the glycoprotein of the variant surface (VSG) T.evansi Rode Trypanozoon (RoTat) 1.2. Two (prevalence of 0.5%) genetic materials of T.evansi were reported in the403 samples. Although, no risk factor was associated with infection (P > 0.05), proximity to vegetation and streams, as well as the presence of tabanids, rodents, and marsupials, which are factors in the occurrence of infection, were observed in positive dogs, implying that the municipality of Barão de Melgaço has epidemiological characteristics that allow canine infection by T.evansi.

Keywords

• canine trypanosomiasis
• Pantanal
• protozoa
• qPCR