Posterior paresis in pregnant gilts experimentally infected with Trypanosoma brucei

Abstract

The effect of Trypanosoma brucei infection on reproductive efficiency in gilts (n=12) was conducted.
The gilts were bought as piglets aged eight weeks from piggeries in Samaru village in Zaria, Nigeria. On
attaining puberty, the gilts were divided into experimental and control groups, each group containing
six animals. All the gilts were subsequently bred by fertile boars and they were confirmed pregnant. The
pregnant gilts were then inoculated with about 1.8 × 106
trypanosomes via the anterior vena cava. The
infected gilts developed clinical trypanosomosis after a pre-patent period of 2 to 3 days. The clinical
signs observed were intermittent fever, short and moist cough, moist rales, mucopurulent ocular
discharges, hyperaemia of the skin, reduced feed intake, loss of body condition, recumbency,
uncoordinated movements, posterior paresis, loss of pregnancy and death. Severe degeneration of the
fibers of the hamstring muscles was observed along with elevated levels of serum potassium, aspartate
amino transferase and creatine kinase.