Diagnosis of canine trypanosomosis by polymerase chain reaction

A clinical case of trypanosomosis in a German Shepherd dog and its diagnosis by polymerase chain reaction(PCR) was described.The dog was presented with clinical signs such as pyrexia, bilateral corneal opacity, pale mucous membranes, emaciation and lymphadenopathy. Wet film and stained smear examination of peripheral blood revealed Trypanosoma evansi. Blood sample was also subjected to PCR for detection of parasitic DNA using the forward and reverse Kin primers, Kin1: 5’-GCG TTC AAA GAT TGG GCA ATG-3’ and KIN-2: 5’-CGC CCG AAA GTT CAC C-3’, which bind to an internal transcribed spacer region (ITS1). Polymerase chain reaction showed positive result and the amplicon size for T.evansi was 540bp. The case was successfully treated with a single dose of diminazine aceturate @10 mg/kg BW.

Keywords: Trypanosoma evansi, PCR, Kin Primers, Diminazine aceturate.