CHARACTERIZATION OF TRYPANOSOMES AND DETERMINATION OF TRYPANOSOME IMMUNOGENIC PROTEINS IN CATTLE IN GHANA

ABSTRACT Livestock production is one of the farming systems and has a great impact on food and economic security in most developing countries. Animal African trypanosomiasis is a major limitation to livestock production in Africa, particularly cattle production. The disease is caused by Trypanosoma spp., a broad range of protozoan parasites of wild and domestic animals through cyclical and mechanical transmission. Cross-sectional studies conducted in Ghana reveal the common species of trypanosomes infecting cattle using molecular techniques as T. brucei brucei, T. congolense, T. vivax, T. theileri and T. simiae. Despite the seriousness of the disease, no study has been conducted on lifetime trypanosome infections in Ghanaian cattle. Antigenic variation of the variant surface glycoprotein (VSG) of trypanosomes is a hindrance to the successful development of a vaccine against trypanosomiasis. Therefore, alternative approaches such as exploiting the immunogenicity of other trypanosomes proteins and understanding antibody response during lifetime infection with parasites maybe useful in vaccine development. In this study, trypanosome species throughout the natural infection cycle in cattle were characterized over a two year period. In addition, the antibody response in the individual cattle over time and potential trypanosome immunogenic proteins were determined. Two herds of cattle (20 each) at Accra and Adidome were selected on the basis of geographical location, tsetse fly density, trypanosomiasis prevalence and the breed of cattle at the sites. Blood and serum samples were collected at approximately four to five-week intervals for about two years. The infecting trypanosomes were identified and characterized using an in-house developed tagged multiplex nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting a portion of the trypanosome tubulin gene cluster and  ABSTRACT Livestock production is one of the farming systems and has a great impact on food and economic security in most developing countries. Animal African trypanosomiasis is a major limitation to livestock production in Africa, particularly cattle production. The disease is caused by Trypanosoma spp., a broad range of protozoan parasites of wild and domestic animals through cyclical and mechanical transmission. Cross-sectional studies conducted in Ghana reveal the common species of trypanosomes infecting cattle using molecular techniques as T. brucei brucei, T. congolense, T. vivax, T. theileri and T. simiae. Despite the seriousness of the disease, no study has been conducted on lifetime trypanosome infections in Ghanaian cattle. Antigenic variation of the variant surface glycoprotein (VSG) of trypanosomes is a hindrance to the successful development of a vaccine against trypanosomiasis. Therefore, alternative approaches such as exploiting the immunogenicity of other trypanosomes proteins and understanding antibody response during lifetime infection with parasites maybe useful in vaccine development. In this study, trypanosome species throughout the natural infection cycle in cattle were characterized over a two year period. In addition, the antibody response in the individual cattle over time and potential trypanosome immunogenic proteins were determined. Two herds of cattle (20 each) at Accra and Adidome were selected on the basis of geographical location, tsetse fly density, trypanosomiasis prevalence and the breed of cattle at the sites. Blood and serum samples were collected at approximately four to five-week intervals for about two years. The infecting trypanosomes were identified and characterized using an in-house developed tagged multiplex nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting a portion of the trypanosome tubulin gene cluster and