Differences in sensitivity of Kenyan Trypanosoma vivax populations to the prophylactic and therapeutic actions of isometamidium chloride in Boran cattle.

Isometamidium chloride was administered as a single prophylactic dose of 0.5 mg kg-1 body weight to each of 10 Boran (Bos indicus) steers. At monthly intervals following drug administration, groups of five cattle each were challenged with one of two different Trypanosoma vivax populations transmitted by infected Glossina morsitans centralis; one with a stock (IL 2982) from Galana, Kenya and the other with a stock (IL 2986) from Likoni, Kenya. Prophylaxis was afforded for less than one month against the Galana T. vivax and for one month against the Likoni T. vivax. In a therapeutic study a further 10 Boran steers were similarly infected with either of the T. vivax populations; five steers per population. Eleven days after infection all animals were treated with 0.5 mg kg-1 isometamidium chloride and all were cured. These findings demonstrate that, as defined in the field, the two Kenyan T. vivax populations express a high level of resistance to the prophylactic action of isometamidium yet a low level of resistance to the therapeutic action of the drug. The results also indicate that differences in drug resistance between different isolates play a major role in determining the apparent period of prophylaxis afforded by isometamidium chloride.