title: An evaluation of melarsomine hydrochloride efficacy for parasitological cure in experimental infection of dairy cattle with Trypanosoma evansi in Thailand.
abstract: Melarsomine hydrochloride can cure Trypanosoma evansi infection in camels at a dose of 0·25 mg/kg, but at that dose relapses occur in cattle. In our study, the efficacy of an intramuscular injection of melarsomine hydrochloride at 0·5 mg/kg was assessed in 3 normal and 3 splenectomized dairy cattle experimentally infected with a stock of T. evansi from Thailand. The animals were monitored for 5 months by haematocrit centrifugation, blood- or cerebrospinal fluid-mouse inoculation, polymerase chain reaction, the card agglutination test (CATT) for T. evansi, and the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay‑T. evansi. Parasitological and DNA tests became and remained negative just after treatment. By the end of the experiment, CATT was negative and ELISA scores were below or very close to the cut-off value. One of the splenectomized cattle died from anaplasmosis during the experiment, but tested negative for surra. It was concluded that the parasites had been cleared from the cattle, and melarsomine hydrochloride at 0·5 mg/kg can be recommended for treatment against T. evansi infection in dairy cattle in Thailand. Further work is necessary to validate the efficacy of the treatment in the event of confirmed CSF-infection.
authors.affiliation: Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD), Montpellier, F-34000 France.
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Desquesnes
authors.forename: Ketsarin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kamyingkird
authors.forename: Timothée
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Vergne
authors.forename: Nachai
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sarataphan
authors.forename: Rodtian
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pranee
authors.forename: Sathaporn
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jittapalapong
mesh_terms: D000372:Agglutination Tests / Q000662:veterinary; D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology; D001152:Arsenicals / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002417:Cattle; D054796:Drug Dosage Calculations; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000662:veterinary; D005260:Female; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy / Q000379:methods; D051379:Mice; D008853:Microscopy; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D013156:Splenectomy; D013785:Thailand; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014227:Triazines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014345:Trypanosoma / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D014354:Trypanosomiasis, Bovine / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D001152:Arsenicals; D014227:Triazines; C076253:melarsomine