Efficacy and toxicity of homidium bromide (ethidium) in goats infected with T. vivax

The objectives of this study are to re-evaluate the efficacy and to investigate the toxicity of homidium bromide in goats experimentally infected with Trypanosoma vivax using different dosage regimens, standard parasitological, pathological, hematological and serobiochemical methods. Three infected groups were given single i.m. dosages of the drug at 1 mg/kg, 2.5 mg/kg and 5 mg/kg respectively. Another two infected groups were given repeated i.m. dosages of the drug at 1 mg/kg daily for 8 days or weekly for 3 successive weeks respectively.All drug rates used in this study eliminated the parasite from the peripheral blood and the liver except the single i.m. dose of 1 mg/kg.Single i.m. dose of homidium bromide at 5 mg/kg and 1 mg/kg repeated daily for 8 days was toxic and fatal preceded by severe clinical signs such as lacrimation, mucopurulent nasal discharge, frothy salivation, alopecia, colic, bloody diarrhea, increase in body temperature and respiratory rate, also decrease in pulse rate, body weight and blood pressure. These clinical signs accompanied by varying degrees of congestion and hemorrhages in the different body organs, hepatorenal fatty changes or necrosis, cardiomyositis, neuropathy, pneumonia and bloody enteritis and decrease in Hb, RBC, PCV as well as increase in AST and SDH activities. An increase was recorded in urea, total proteins and albumin concentrations.In conclusion, a single i.m. dosages of 2.5 mg/kg and 1 mg/kg weekly for 3 successive weeks were tolerated and successfully treated T. vivax infection.