Trypanosoma Infection in African Sharptooth Catfish Clarias gariepinus with Special Reference to Control

Hussien Abd El-Fattah Mohamed Osman, Abeer Ezzat Mahmoud, Ahmed Esmael Noor El-Deen, Mona Saad Zaki and Tarek Mohamed El-Metenawy

Background and Objective: Trypanosoma infection in fish considered as the extreme important internal disease affect fishes. The present study focused on trials for treatment of trypanosome infection in African sharptooth catfish with histopathological study of the naturally infested fish. Materials and Methods: A total number of 200 alive catfish with body weight 120±10 g were obtained from private fish farm. The fish subjected to parasitological investigation for trypanosomes. For treatment trials, a total number of 120 naturally infected catfish were divided into 4 groups each 10 were used for treatment trial with Benznidazol I/M (5 mg kg^–1 b.wt.), bath with Aloe vera leaves aqueous extract (50 and 100 mg L^–1 for 120 min). Results: The main clinical and postmortem lesions were paleness of the body surface, eroded fins, gulping the atmospheric air and surfacing. Trypanosoma infection caused significant decrease in red blood counts, haemoglobin and PCV. Serum total protein, albumin, globulin concentrations, albumin/globulin (A/G) ratio and cholesterol concentration. Histopathological studies displayed necrotic and inflammatory reaction in gills and skin, C. gariepinus, Oreochromis niloticus, gold fish Carassius auratus and male white mice subjected to experimental infection with trypanosome. The prevalence of trypanosome infection in catfish was 53%. For treatment trials, the results revealed that 100 mg L^–1 for 120 min was the best treatment for trypanosomiasis. Conclusion: It was concluded that the best treatment for trypanosoma infection in sharptooth, C. gariepius was, bath treatment with Aloe vera ethanol extract (100 mg L^–1 for 120 min).

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