Histopathologic changes of visceral organs of Wistar rats experimentally infected with Trypanosoma evansi

• Grant number: 12/15688-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: October 01, 2012
• End date: February 28, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Animal Pathology
• Principal Investigator: Daniela Bernadete Rozza
• Grantee: Camilla Nabessima
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária (FMVA). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Araçatuba. Araçatuba , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Trypanosomiasis is a disease caused by Trypanosoma spp protozoans, which affects humans and domestic animals. The course of infection is variable and depends of which trypanosome species involved and what host is infected (WATKINS, 1971; BISWAS, et al., 2001; VERDILLO, et al., 2012). In Americas, T. evansi can be transmitted by blood-sucking insects of the families Tabanidae and Stomoxidae and the Vampire bats (Desmodus rotundus) (TUNTASUVAN, et al., 2000; SILVA, et al., 2012), besides fomites. The disease caused by T. evansi is characterized by weight loss, intermittent fever, variable degrees of anemia, edema of the hind limbs and distal body parts and progressive weakness. At necropsy, we can see pale mucous membranes, subcutaneous tissue and lymphoid organs' edema and serous atrophy of fat, microscopically; most organs show marked proliferatives disorders (OHAERI, 2010). There are few reports about histopathological changes observed in splanchnic organs in animals experimentally infected with T. evansi, particularly in rats (Biswas, et al., 2001), those are important experimental models for this disease (SILVA, et al., 2007; SILVA, et al., 2009). This work aims to analyze histopathological changes in visceral organs in Wistar rats experimentally infected with T. evansi. (AU)