Effects of Trypanosoma vivax on pregnancy of Yankasa sheep and the resultsof homidium chloride chemotherapy

Three groups of pregnant Yankasa ewes, made up of six ewes in each group we re assigned at random to first, second and third trimester of pregnancy stu dies. The ewes were experimentally infected with T. vivax to study the effe cts of the infection on pregnancy and the results of Novidium([R]) Chemothe rapy. Three pregnant uninfected ewes served as controls. Fourteen days post infection, the ewes in each trimester study, were paired by weight and ass igned to two groups of three were ewes each. One group was treated with Nov idium([R]) while the other group remained untreated. Of the three ewes in e ach group, one ewe was killed humanely at 21 days post infection and anothe r at the end of the trimester period. In the first trimester, a ewe with partial fetal resorption was observed am ong the untreated ewes. Fetal death in-utero and expulsion of an autolyzed fetus was observed among the treated ewes. In the second trimester, abortio n and almost complete fetal resorption were observed among the untreated ew es. Fetal death in-utero and expulsion of an autolyzed fetus was observed a mong the treated ewes. In the third trimester, abortions were observed amon g the untreated ewes. Abortion of a live fetus and a case of dystocia were observed among the treated ewes. Ewes in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy were more susceptible to the infection, with ewes in the third t rimester being most susceptible, as measured by the number of abortions and death of ewes. Fetuses from the untreated ewes in the three trimesters of pregnancy were lower in body weights, than the fetuses from the treated ewe s. The uninfected control ewes carried the pregnancies to term. Novidium([R]) chemotherapy at 14 days post infection was not beneficial in ameliorating the pathogenicity of T. vivax infection on pregnancy in Yankas a ewes. T. vivax infection of only 14 days was enough to cause irreversible pathology in Yankasa fetuses evidenced by death of fetuses in-utero, dysto cia and abortions irrespective of Novidium([R]) chemotherapy. (C) 2000 by E lsevier Science Inc.