A possible role for Rusa deer (Cervus timorensis russa) and wild pigs in spread of Trypanosoma evansi from Indonesia to Papua New Guinea

Movement of transmigrants and livestock from western Indonesia to southeast ern areas of Irian Jaya near the border with Papua New Guinea may,pose a ri sk of introducing Trypanosoma evansi into Papua New Guinea via fer al Rusa Beer (Cervus timorensis russa) and wild pigs which inhabit these ar eas in large numbers. Pilot experimental studies were conducted to observe infecti on in pigs and Rusa deer with a strain of T. evansi isolated in Indonesia. Parasitaemia and signs of clinical disease were monitored each second day f or 120 days. Trypanosomes were observed in haematocrit tubes at the plasma- buffy, coat interface of jugular blood of deer and pigs on 86% and 37% of s ampling occasions respectively. Parasitaemia was at a high level in deer fo r 35% of the time but for only 11.5% of the ti,ne in pigs. Results indicate that both Rusa deer and pigs have a high tolerance for infection with T. e vansi. The deer suffered mild anaemia evidenced by a 25% reduction in packe d cell I,volume (PCV) 14 days after infection which coincided with the init ial peak in parasitaemia However,: PCV had returned to pre infection values bq, the end of the experiment. The pigs showed no change in PCV Ther-e wer e no visual indications of disease in either species and appetite was not n oticeably affected. It was,as concluded that both Rusa deer and pigs were c apable reservoir, hosts for T. evansi but that Rusa deer with, their more p ersistent higher levels of parasitaemia, have more potential to spread T. e vansi into Papua New Guinea fi om West Irian than pig.