The effect of melarsenoxyde cysteamine hydrochloride (Cymelarsan®) on haematological changes in one humped camels (Camelus dromedarius) experimentally infected with Trypanosoma evansi Kumshe H.A.1, Mbaya A.W.2,,*, Dilli H.1 1Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maiduguri, PM.B.1069, Borno, State, Nigeria 2Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maiduguri, PM.B.1069, Borno, State, Nigeria *Email: awmbaya@yahoo.com
Online published on 18 April, 2014. Abstract A study was conducted to determine the effect of melarsenoxyde cysteamine hydrochloride (Cymelarsan®) on the haematological changes in one humped camels (Camelus dromedarius) experimentally infected with a field strain (CT/29) of Trypanosoma evansi. Twenty camels of both sexes aged between 1 to 3 years and weighing between 160 and 400 kg were randomly dived into 6 groups (A – D) of five each. group A was infected with 0.5ml of blood containing x103/μl of T. evansi and treated with Cymelarsan® by day 20 post-infection (p.i.) at the peak of parasitaemia (210.2 ± 1.81). Group B and C were infected and uninfected controls, respectively while group D was uninfected but treated with Cymelarsan®. From day 4 (p.i.) packed cell volume (PCV), red blood cell (RBC), haemoglobin concentration (Hb), white blood cell (WBC), absolute lymphocytes, neutrophils and platelets counts decreased significantly (p<0.05) in an inverse relationship with parasitaemia. On the other hand, monocytosis was consistent while reticulocytosis occurred by days 16 and 36 (p.i.). The Mean corpuscular volume (MCV) decreased significantly (p<0.05) from day 24 (pi.). The erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH) and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC) increased significantly (p<0.05) from day 4 (p.i.). These changes were however modulated to their pre-infection values in group A, following treatment with Cymelarsan®. Top Keywords Camels, cymelarsan®, haematological changes, Trypanosoma evansi. Top |