Trypanosoma evansi Abortion in a dromedary camel herd in the UAE - Part I

A dromedary camel breeding herd consisting of 16 female and 2 male camels experienced an abortion storm over a period of 2 years. Fifteen (94%) of the 16 female camels aborted during the last stage of pregnancy. Trypanosoma evansi was directly identified by the buffy coat technique in 7 (39%) of the camels and in 15 (83%) with the indirect in-house antibody ELISA developed at the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory (CVRL). One bull and two newly introduced female camels were negative in both tests.

The whole herd was treated with 20ml of Cymelarsan. Blood samples were retested 6 weeks after treatment. All 18 dromedary camels did not clear the parasite from the blood and four dromedaries were still positive in the buffy coat technique and the level of antibodies had further increased. In Part II of our investigations we will report if another Trypanosomal drug had cured the herd.