title: Effects of experimental Trypanosoma evansi infection on pregnancy in Yankasa ewes.
abstract: Twenty pregnant Yankasa ewes were assigned to three groups to determine the effect of Trypanosoma evansi infection on pregnancy. Groups A and B comprising seven ewes each were infected with approximately 1.0 × 10(6) cells of T evansi per ewe through venepuncture at the second and third trimesters of pregnancy, respectively. Group C comprising six ewes served as uninfected control. There was slight pyrexia in the infected groups (groups A and B) but was absent in group C. The mean body weight, glucose concentration, and packed cell volume of ewes in group A were not significantly different from those in group C throughout the study. There was also no significant difference in mean glucose concentration between groups B and C. However, in group B, mean body weight was significantly (P < 0.05) lower compared to group C at week 2 and from week 4 post infection (pi) till the end of the study; the packed cell volume also significantly (P < 0.05) decreased but at weeks 4 and 6 pi. The mean plasma protein of ewes in group A was significantly (P < 0.05) increased compared to those of group C at weeks 7, 11 pi and thereafter till the end of the study. On the contrary, the plasma protein of ewes in group B decreased significantly (P < 0.05) compared to those in group C at weeks 2 and 6 pi. There were no reproductive losses throughout the study. This was characterized by insignificant differences in the gestation length between ewes in the infected groups (groups A and B) compared with those in group C. However, there were significant (P < 0.05) decreases in lamb birth weights of ewes in group B compared with ewes in groups A and C. Mice inoculation with blood from infected ewes postpartum was parasitemic 18 to 25 days pi, for ewes in group B, whereas none of the mice in groups A and C were parasitemic. Lambs born from the infected groups (groups A and B) were also aparasitemic for 40 days postpartum. It was therefore concluded that the T evansi isolate used caused mild trypanosomosis when infected at third trimester, whereas ewes infected at second trimester were resistant.
authors.affiliation: Department of Theriogenology and Animal Production, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Nigeria. Electronic address: adewale.adeyeye@udusok.edu.ng.
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Adeyeye
authors.affiliation: Department of Theriogenology and Production, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria.
authors.forename: I U
authors.initials: IU
authors.lastname: Ate
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Parasitology and Entomology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria.
authors.forename: A I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Lawal
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Adamu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical / Q000662:veterinary; D023421:Models, Animal; D018512:Parasitemia / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011270:Pregnancy, Animal; D011529:Protozoan Infections, Animal / Q000473:pathology; D012756:Sheep / Q000469:parasitology*; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology*; D014352:Trypanosomiasis / Q000473:pathology*
keywords: Gestation length; Lamb weight; Pregnancy; Trypanosoma evansi; Yankasa ewe