Comparison of PCR and hematocrit centrifugation technique to detect Trypanosoma evansi in goats

Abstract

Natural Trypanosoma evansi infection in the Canary Islands has only been diagnosed in the camel population, but dissemination of the disease in other hosts has not been excluded. Goat population is usually concentrates very close to camel herds, and goats could play an important role in the dissemination of the disease. The objective of this work was to assess the performance of a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) with a primer targeting a repetitive region specific for Trypanozoon subgenus used to amplify a 227 bp fragment from the genomic DNA, to detect T. evansi in blood samples of infected goats. Ten Canarian goats were tested for T. evansi detection by PCR and two additional methods (CATT/T. evansi and hematocrit centrifugation technique). Six goats were inoculated intravenously with at least 1 x105 T. evansi., and four goats were used as control. Blood samples from control goats were parasitologically and serologically negative for T. evansi. Blood samples obtained from experimentally infected goats showed DNA amplification of the specific 227 bp band and they were positive for T. evansi. They resulted also positive by serology and by hematocrit centrifugation technique. Remaining four goats were found negative by all techniques used. We conclude that this PCR could be adequate for assessing infection of goats with T. evansi.