Camel trypanosomosis called Surra is an important protozoan disease affecting camels globally and is controlled mainly by chemoprophylaxis and chemotherapy. Trypan®, Triquin-S® and Cymelarsan® are commonly used in the treatment of Surra. However, numerous reports of resistance to the common drugs have been made. In this study, we compared the sensitivity of two isolates of Trypanosoma evansi obtained from camels in Moroto district, to four different dose rates of Trypan®, Triquin-S® and Cymelarsan® in 120 white Swiss mice. Triquin-S® and Cymelarsan® cleared the infection at the manufacturers’ recommended doses. However, relapses occurred when half the recommended doses of Triquin-S® and Cymelarsan® were used. Interestingly, Trypan® up to 14mg/kg was not able to clear the infection in mice, thus treatment failure. This study has revealed that some of the T. evansi circulating in the Ugandan camels cannot be cured by Trypan®. We therefore recommend that the resident veterinarians in this region and pastoral communities that keep camels in Uganda be sensitized on the most suitable trypanocidals and dosages for treatment of Surra to avoid further development of drug resistance.
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