The response of pigs experimentally infected with Trypanosoma brucei to isometamidium chloride therapy and the relation to nutrition

• Published in: The Veterinary quarterly Vol. 14; no. 3; p. 88
• Main Authors: Otesile, E.B. (Ibadan Univ. (Nigeria). Dept. of Veterinary Medicine), Fagbemi, B.O, Makinde, M.O, Akinboade, O.A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 01.08.1992
• Subjects: Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Animals; ANTIPROTOZOAIRE; ANTIPROTOZOAL AGENTS; CERDO; DIET; DIETA; Energy Intake; Erythrocyte Count - veterinary; EXPERIMENTACION IN VIVO; EXPERIMENTATION IN VIVO; GAIN DE POIDS; GANANCIA DE PESO; Hematocrit - veterinary; Hemoglobins - analysis; IN VIVO EXPERIMENTATION; INFECCION; INFECTION; MEDICAMENTOS CONTRA PROTOZOARIOS; Phenanthridines - therapeutic use; PORCIN; REGIME ALIMENTAIRE; SWINE; Swine Diseases - blood; Swine Diseases - drug therapy; Swine Diseases - metabolism; TERAPIA; THERAPEUTIQUE; THERAPY; Trypanocidal Agents - therapeutic use; TRYPANOSOMA BRUCEI; Trypanosoma brucei brucei; Trypanosomiasis, African - blood; Trypanosomiasis, African - drug therapy; Trypanosomiasis, African - metabolism; Trypanosomiasis, African - veterinary; WEIGHT GAIN
• ISSN: 0165-2176; 1875-5941
• DOI: 10.1080/01652176.1992.9694339

Growing pigs were placed on feeds with high (Group A), medium (B) and low (C) dietary energy and were infected with a virulent stock of T. brucei. Eight weeks later, the infected pigs were treated with isometamidium chloride at 1 mg/kg live weight and all pigs were subsequently placed on a high energy diet to investigate their response to therapy. Clearance of T. brucei from blood was completed 72h after treatment. There was no evidence of relapsed infection up to eight weeks after treatment. Red blood cell parameters returned to normal four to six weeks after treatment with responses being fastest in Group A, B and C had gained about two-thirds of the live weight gains of their non-infected pair-fed controls. It appears that the retarded weight gain as a result of the infection persisted after therapy since drug-treated pigs did not gain as much weight as their non-infected controls.