An outbreak of abortions and high neonatal mortality associated with Trypanosoma evansi infection in dromedary camels in the Canary Islands

Trypanosoma evansi was diagnosed for the first time in the Canary Islands (Spain) in 1998 in a dromedary camel. Seroprevalences of 4.8% up to 9% have been observed using different diagnostic methods. Affected animals have been treated but the dissemination of the disease is unknown. This article presents an outbreak of abortions and high neonatal mortality attributable to T. evansi infection in camels as well as the clinical assessment of the affected animals. The patients were diagnosed by routine checking (three pregnant animals), after abortion (five dams), or after delivered premature or weak calves (eight dams). At clinical examination, 2 out of 16 affected animals showed moderate signs of chronic form, particularly hyporexia and intolerance to exercise. The aborted fetuses were aged 6-8 months of gestation, approximately. The main laboratorial findings were regenerative anemia (haemolytic anemia), lymphocytic and monocytic leukocytosis, hyperproteinemia, hyperglobulinemia, hypoglycaemia, serum urea increased and serum iron decreased. Treatment using trypanocidal drug (Cymelarsan®) resulted highly effective. Massive treatment would be recommended in the entire camel population in the Canary Islands (less than 2000 animals), as therapeutic or preventive measure, in order to control and to achieve an eventual eradication of the disease.