Epidemiological Survey of Trypanosomiasis in the Dromedary Camels Raised in Dera Ismail Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Abstract

A one-year epidemiological survey was conducted to determine the age, sex, and season-wise prevalence of Trypanosomiasis in dromedary camels (Camelus dromedarius) at Dera Ismail Khan region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, province of Pakistan. A total of 600 blood samples were parasitological examined in which 300 were male and 300 were females. Camels were grouped age-wise as: Adults (<2 years age) and calves (>2 years age), sex-wise as; male and female while ratio of animals in both age and sex group were kept nearly 1:1. Season-wise prevalence was observed by splitting the data in four seasons of the year as Pre-monsoon, Monsoon, Post-Monsoon and winter. The samples were examined microscopically using thin, thick and wet blood film for the identification of Trypanosoma evansi based on morphological characteristics. An overall prevalence was determined as 6.67%. Age-wise prevalence was found as high 9.06% in adults and low 4.30% in calves (P<0.05). Sex-wise the infestation was observed as high 7.66% in female and low 5.66% in male camels (P>0.05). Among four seasons of the year, highest prevalence 11.18% was observed in rainy season of monsoon followed by 8.45, 7.85 and 0% in post monsoon, pre-monsoon and winter respectively (P<0.05). All the results were statistically analyzed on SPSS using Pearson Chi-Square test. This survey showed that age and season have significant affect while sex has non-significant effect on prevalence of trypanosomiasis in dromedary camels.