NationalLibraryOfScotland/medical-history-of-british-india huggingface dataset:
162 THE INDIAN JOURNAL OF VETERINARY SCIENCE AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY. [V, II
and Rohtak Districts against none last year. A strengthening of the staff in the
districts of Hariana tract is badly needed in order to provide an organisation for
dealing with this disease in the villages by intravenous inoculation of the affected
animals with tartar emetic solution."
Wenyon [1926] writes that T. evansi appears to be much less virulent to
cattle than to horses. The cattle show few symptoms as a rule, and nearly always
recover naturally. However, this author admits that serious outbreaks affecting
cattle do occur.
Sheather [1926] states that Indian cattle possess a far higher degree of resis-
tance to surra than equines and that they frequently harbour the parasites in
their blood in small numbers without evincing any evidence of disease and that
the disease is not fatal in cattle. This worker observes that in Northern India,
where the disease is more common, the susceptibility of the buffaloes is low,
symptoms seldom presenting themselves. He adds, however, that in South
India and in the East Indies, fatal cases of surra in buffaloes do occur.
Ram [1927] writes that the rapidity with which cattle sometimes die of
surra is surprising and that the condition is difficult to diagnose. There is high
fever, staring eyes, frequent micturition, bellowing, stamping of the feet and the
affected animal runs out of the herd, falls down and dies in convulsions with a frothy
discharge from the mouth and making one suspect the condition for anthrax.
Edwards [1928] writes that virulent outbreaks of surra occur among cattle
and notably among buffaloes with consequent high mortality. He observes
that the tissues of bovine animals seem capable of responding readily to the extent
of keeping down the rate of multiplication of the trypanosomes to the status of
relatively innocuous invaders, so that after an initial intervention with a simple
chemo-therapeutic agent to stay the progress of a virulent attack, the animal's
tissues are able of their own accord to suppress further dangerous multiplication
of the parasites. This worker also remarks that Indian cattle and buffaloes are
commonly found to carry the trypanosomes in a latent state of activity without
displaying any manifest symptoms of ill-health.
Balwant Singh [1930] records a case of surra in a Holstein bull at Muktesar.
The animal exhibited brain symptoms, coma alternated with periods of wild
excitement, when the head was dashed against the ground, muscular spasms,
grinding of the teeth, wild look, etc., and it was suspected for heat apoplexy
or acute stomach disorder. However, the smears revealed trypanosomiasis.
Mahajan [1934] records an outbreak of bovine surra in Hyderabad (Deccan)
in which the disease was mistaken for anthrax. He says that 90 per cent. of the
affected animals were bullocks and that the mortality in them was cent. per cent.
BOVINE SURRA IN INDIA, WITH A DESCRIPTION OF RECENT OUTBREAK.
163
The writers of this article were deputed to investigate an outbreak of disease
at the Imperial Cattle Farm, Karnal, where they arrived for this purpose on
27th October 1933. The Karnal Farm is situated in a low-lying area, which is
often subject to floods during heavy rains. The monsoon during the year 1933
was early and severe and the entire farm area was under water for a considerable
period. Consequently, the farm cattle were put to great hardship which caused
appreciable loss of condition in them.
The farm is essentially a cattle-breeding one, a few buffaloes also being main-
tained for experimental purposes. The herd is maintained in two groups. Group I
consists of milch cows, stud bulls, young male stock, calves under one year and
suckling calves, while Group II consists of young female stock and dry cows and
buffaloes.
Group I is the main section of the herd and is housed in the dairy lines, while
Group II is kept at a distance of about two furlongs from the main section. Hous-
ing, grazing and watering arrangements for the latter group are altogether separate
from those of the main herd. The disease was confined to the animals of the
main herd, and throughout the duration of the outbreak not a single case occurred
in the animals of Group II. The main herd consisted of the following animals
on the day of the writers' arrival at Karnal :—
Bulls . . . . . . . . . . .
Buffalo bulls . . . . . . . . . .
Young male stock . . . . . . . . .
Cows, Hariana . . . . . . . . .
Cows, Tharparkar . . . . . . . .
Buffaloes . . . . . . . . . .
Total .
8
2
29
56
69
12
176
The disease was first noticed on 21st September 1933 and twelve cases had
occurred up to date. Of these 12 animals, four had died while the remaining
eight eventually recovered. The first two cases were suspected to be caused by
snake bites, while the others were taken for cases of an infectious form of menin-
gitis. Blood smears were taken by the local Veterinary Assistant Surgeon from
the eighth case which occurred and sent to the Lahore Veterinary College, where
a diagnosis of surra was made.
On the day of the writers' arrival at the Farm, there were seven animals
which had got over the acute stage of the affection. All these animals were con-
siderably emaciated and there was profuse lachrymation to be seen. On micros-
copical examination, four of these seven animals showed trypanosomes in their
blood. During the course of these examinations, a young buffalo bull " Gama "
was reported to have been suddenly taken ill. The animal was showing severe
164 THE INDIAN JOURNAL OF VETERINARY SCIENCE AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY. [V, II
brain symptoms and its temperature was 103.8° F. Its blood smears showed
large numbers of trypanosomes on microscopical examination. The animal was
immediately injected with 30 c.c. of a 10 per cent. solution of " Bayer 205 " in-
travenously. Two hours after these injections, symptoms of colic and tympanites
were observed in this animal, but these symptoms were relieved by the adminis-
tration of an enema. The next morning, i.e., 15 hours after the injection, the
animal appeared quite cheerful and was found chewing its cud peacefully and its
blood was sterile. During this outbreak the following symptoms were noted
by one of the Supervisors on the dairy staff and these were afterwards confirmed
by us in the buffalo bull " Gama ", and subsequent cases :—
The affected animal first appears sleepy and sluggish and leans for support
against the wall or whatsoever is at hand with semi-closed eyes. If removed or
pulled out of its leaning posture, the animal falls down being unable to balance
its body on its legs in the absence of something to lean upon. This sleepy stage
lasts for about half to one hour, after which the animal shakes off its sleepiness.
Now the eyes appear staring and wide open and the breathing becomes hard and
noisy. The animal then starts moving round in a circle in a limited area, sits on
its hind legs and falls down. Symptoms of wild excitement follow, the animal
beating its head against the wall and floor with terrific force and kicking about
vigorously with its hind legs. There is frequent micturition and defaecation at
this stage. The tongue is at times thrown out and there is profuse salivation.
The breathing now becomes irregular and appears as if the animal is choked.
There is twitching of the muscles and shivering of the whole body followed by
profuse perspiration.
This stage is followed by a semi-comatose condition when the animal becomes
fully stretched on the ground and groans occasionally. At this stage though the
eyes are kept wide open, the eyesight is apparently temporarily lost, although
the eye-lids were noticed to respond readily to keep flies from sitting on the eye.
There is profuse lachrymation from both the eyes. The hard breathing continues
throughout this semi-comatose stage, and the animal often grinds its teeth and
occasionally gulps in air.
This stage is again followed by one of excitement, which in its turn is succeeded
by coma, and in this way these two stages may alternate with each other half a
dozen times. At last there is protracted coma followed by death in about 15
hours after the appearance of the first symptom. The temperature at the initial
stage goes up to 103° F. or more, but falls down to normal in a few hours. In one
case, the temperature went up to 107° F. and this animal died about six hours
after it was taken ill.
The disease was observed to be more severe in bullocks and young male
stock animals. In cows, the disease ran a milder course. None of the affected
cows died of the disease.
BOVINE SURRA IN INDIA, WITH A DESCRIPTION OF RECENT OUTBREAK.
165
TREATMENT AND PROPHYLAXIS.
If the records of outbreaks of surra in cattle are rare, records of the chemo-
therapy of this condition are rarer still. Venkataratnam Chetty [1922] attempted
treatment of a few ailing cattle with a few chemicals and other drugs. Of two
animals treated with atoxyl and arsenic one was cured while the other died. Then
out of seven animals treated with tartar emetic in doses of 100 c.c. of a 1 per cent
solution every 4th day, five died while two recovered. Four animals were treated
with rectal injections of tartar emetic solution (30 to 120 grains) of which two
died and two recovered. However, this worker claims to have got successful
results in all the four animals treated by him by the oral administration of ten
ounces of infusion of chiratta mixture given every morning and evening together
with the use of a chutney of the size of a tennis ball of Nochalai (Vitex Negundo)
with an ounce of pepper in it.
Anant Narayan Rao [1923] tried an extract of Neem leaves (Melia Azadirachta)
in cattle surra with apparent success. Fifty grammes of mature neem leaves were
placed in a litre of distilled water which was heated till it reached boiling point
and then was allowed to cool. The extract was then filtered and autoclaved.
This extract, when added to blood containing trypanosomes in vitro, made the
parasites sluggish in their movements in 5 minutes, agglomerated them in 10
minutes, and killed them all at the end of a half an hour. Three bullocks suffer¬
ing from surra were treated by this worker with this extract given intravenously
in repeated doses of 250 to 500 c.c. This author suggests that it would be worth
while trying intravenous injections of an extract of the leaves of Vitex negundo
in this condition.
Baermann [1923] suggests that in view of the lower susceptibility of cattle
to surra, a small dose of " Bayer 205 " might be used.
Balwant Singh [1926] treated his case of surra in a Holstein bull successfully
with tartar emetic followed by an injection of " Bayer 205 ".
Edwards [1926] writes that outbreaks of surra in cattle, including buffaloes,
which occasionally occur in India with high mortality, particularly among buffaloes,
are easily checked by the administration of intravenous injections of relatively
simple trypanocidal agents such as tartar emetic and that single injections usually
suffice. He suggests that a suitable therapeutic dose of tartar emetic is 5 c.c.
of an M/10 (3.2 per cent.) solution per 100 lb. body weight. He adds that this
treatment does not bring about a complete sterilization of the system of trypa-
nosomes, which, he says, persist thereafter in the system in a latent state of activity,
apparently indefinitely. Out of a lot of 18 surra buffaloes treated by this worker
with this drug, 8 animals died, which high mortality he attributes to the extra-
ordinarily high virulence of the strain of trypanosome with which these animals were
inoculated. However, this drug, when used in buffaloes in a natural outbreak of
166 THE INDIAN JOURNAL OF VETERINARY SCIENCE AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY. [V, II
surra subsequently, was found by this worker to be a good therapeutic agent.
This author remarks that the results obtained after treatment with tryparsamide
do not appear to be appreciably superior.
Mahajan [1934] found a 10 per cent. solution of naganol effective in cattle
surra if the intravenous administration of this drug was carried out sufficiently
early in the course of the disease.
When in a normal state of health, the defensive mechanism of the body of
bovine animals may overcome an infection even without treatment, although the
trypanosomes will be found in the blood for a considerable time without producing
any ill-effects. However, when the body-vitality is in a low state, these organisms
gain the upper hand and bring about the death of the host. In such cases, a prompt
injection of an effective trypanocidal agent is essential to protect the animal.
Tartar emetic is one of the drugs which answers this purpose in the majority of
cases. However, this drug should be avoided in acute cases when the blood is
swarming with trypanosomes. In such cases a less drastic drug such as " Bayer
205 " is recommended.
It is a well-known fact that tartar emetic, in spite of its powerful trypanocidal
properties, diffuses quickly and is excreted completely from the body in a couple
of days. Hence, this drug is practically useless as a prophylactic agent. Naganol
on the other hand, by virtue of its larger molecular structure, is said to remain
in the blood in sufficient trypanocidal concentration for longer periods without
being excreted. Kleine [1924] in the course of an address delivered before a meet-
ing of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, stated that even with
large doses' of " Bayer 205 " it was not possible to prevent infection by trypa-
nosomes in cattle. Berg [1925] also found " Bayer 205 " almost valueless for the
prophylactic treatment of cattle. However, these two workers were dealing
with Trypanosoma theileri, brucei, congolense and trypanosomes of the Vivax group
and not T. evansi of Indian cattle. In this outbreak at Karnal, " Bayer 205 "
was found to be as good a prophylactic agent as it was when used as a curative.
The seven animals which had recovered from the acute stage of the disease,
but were still infected with trypanosomes were treated with 50 c.c. each of a 2
per cent. solution of tartar emetic. Animals in the acute stage of the disease
were given intravenous injections of " Bayer 205 ".
The valuable stud animals
of the herd were given prophylactic injections of " Bayer 205 " and none of the
animals so protected developed the disease in this outbreak.
As it was not possible to inject all the animals of the herd with prophylactic
doses of naganol or even tartar emetic the following measures were taken to control
the outbreak. At first arrangements were made to record the morning and
evening temperatures of the in-contact animals. Within two days it was found
that rise of temperature was not a constant symptom of infection.
Animals
BOVINE SURRA IN INDIA, WITH A DESCRIPTION OF RECENT OUTBREAK.
167
showing very heavy infection with trypanosomes were found to show a normal
temperature. As a result of the above observation the temperature recording
was discontinued, and daily fresh blood film examination of the in-contact
animals was started.
By this method of observation, sixty-five animals were found to be infected
and they were promptly treated. Twenty-five of these animals were treated with
tartar emetic and the remaining forty with naganol. Directly an infected animal
was spotted with the aid of the microscope, it was forthwith isolated with a view
to prevent further spread of the disease through the agency of biting flies. The
valuable animals of the herd, twenty-eight in number, i.e., the stud bulls, etc.,
were given 10 c.c. to 15 c.c. each of a 10 per cent. solution of naganol, intravenously
to protect them from the infection. One Tharparkar cow which was showing
large numbers of trypanosomes in its blood dropped down dead within 15 minutes
after she was injected with 50 c.c. of a 2 per cent. solution of tartar emetic. Two
bull calves so treated also died 4 days and 10 days respectively after treatment
and showed advanced fatty changes in the liver. A few other animals treated
with tartar emetic showed relapses.
However, none of the forty animals treated with " Bayer 205 " showed any
relapse and these animals received 10 to 30 c.c. of a 10 per cent. solution of this
drug intravenously, depending upon their size and the intensity of the infection.
None of the twenty-eight animals which were given prophylactic injections of this
drug got the infection subsequently.
The majority of animals treated with tartar emetic showed signs of distress
and salivation immediately after the introduction of this drug into the circulation.
Treatment with this drug would have continued had not one valuable cow
succumbed within 10 to 15 minutes after the injection. By the time the needle
was removed from the vein, this cow started showing symptoms of distress and
profuse salivation. The symptoms became worse in 5 minutes. Blood-tinged
froth appeared from the mouth and nostrils. Laboured breathing set in. The
cow got up and in about one minute dropped down and died. This accident,
coupled with the death of two bull calves subsequent to treatment, put an
end to the use of tartar emetic in the chemotherapy of this condition. The
severity of the toxic symptoms following tartar emetic injections depended upon
the degree of infection. When the trypanosomes in the circulation were few,
the symptoms were mild. In cases of heavy infection, the symptoms proved
alarming although only one cow died. Moreover, all the animals treated with
tartar emetic developed a cough that lasted for about 2 days after treatment.
Four of the 25 animals developed swellings at the seat of injection as a result
of a small quantity of this drug getting out of the vein into the subcutis. By
fomentation these swellings in 3 of these animals disappeared subsequently, while
in one animal the swelling persisted followed by sloughing of the part.
G
168
THE INDIAN JOURNAL OF VETERINARY SCIENCE AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY. [V, II
Although tartar emetic is a much cheaper drug than " Bayer 205 ", the
disadvantages following its use are very many.
TRANSMISSION OF SURRA.
The only known method of transmission of surra in nature is a mechanical
one in which various biting insects are suspected to transmit the infection to
healthy animals within a short time of their having fed on infected ones. The
findings of Cross and Patel [ 1921 ] regarding the transmission of this disease
through the agency of ticks belonging to the genus Ornithodorus have not been
confirmed.
It is generally presumed that flies belonging to the genus Tabanus are mainly
responsible for the dissemination of this disease. A complete survey of the
farm for these flies in November 1933 showed not a single fly belonging to this
genus though they are said to be found in great abundance in the months of
July and August. The entire absence of Tabanus flies indicated the possibilities
of other vectors being responsible for the transmission of the disease. A search
for them revealed the presence of the following types of flies on the farm :—
Stomoxys calcitrans, Musca crassirostris, Lyperosia sp., Eumerus sp., Bdello
larynx sp., and some flies of the family Anthomyidæ. Most common of these
were Musca and Stomoxys flies. Lyperosia were fairly common but Bdello¬
larynx flies were rather scarce. In the abdominal contents of two Bdeilolarynx
flies, trypanosomes were found immediately after they had fed on known
infected animals.
In addition to these flies, it was noted that the place was overrun with
mosquitoes. Both Anopheles and Culex species were found.
Blood smears
from the gut-contents of these insects which had fed on infected animals gave
negative results for trypanosomes on examination.
A large number of ticks belonging to the genus Hyalomma were also collected
from some of the infected animals, smears from the gut contents of these did
not show any trypanosomes on microscopical examination.
Susceptibility. Both cattle and buffaloes were found equally susceptible
in this outbreak.
The disease was found to be readily transmissible to dogs
and rabbits by artificial inoculation.
Blood examination of the private dogs
on the farm, however, gave negative results for trypanosomes. A tonga pony,
the only equine animal on the Farm, did not contract the infection, during the
period of two months this outbreak lasted. Calves under one year of age would
appear to be immune, since not a single case occurred in them, although there
were about 60 of them living in contact with the infected animals.
The specific identity of the trypanosome causing bovine surra. The question
arises as to whether the naturally occurring surra of cattle is due to Trypanosoma
evansi, the causal agent of equine surra, or some other species of trypanosome.
BOVINE SURRA IN INDIA, WITH A DESCRIPTION OF RECENT OUTBREAK.
169
Fraser [ 1910 ] in his article on " Surra in the Federated Malay States "
states that the trypanosomes met with in cattle, horses and dogs in Malaya are
indistinguishable morphologically and in their pathological effects.
Sowerby [ 1911 ] remarks that the buffalo-strain of trypanosomes is practi
cally identical with T. evansi in form, measurement, folds of the undulating
membrane and sparcity of chromatin granules.
Kumaraswami Pantulu [ 1920 ] points out the difference in the symptoms
manifested in different outbreaks of cattle surra and suggests the possibility
that each outbreak might be caused by a different species of trypanosome.
Stirling [ 1921 ] found trypanosomes in large numbers in the blood of a
bullock which died in the Central Provinces of India. The trypanosome was
quite unlike T. evansi and measured 14.5μ on an average and is stated to have
had the characters of T. congolense. This trypanosome, however, has not been
found in cattle in India by any other worker.
Anant Narayan Rao [ 1923 ] studied the morphological and biological features
of the trypanosomes affecting cattle and came to the conclusion that they are
identical with Trypanosoma evansi.
The association of this disease in cattle with equine surra in various parts
of India, the morphological identity of the parasites, the similarity of naturally
occurring bovine surra with the disease produced in cattle by inoculation with
T. evansi from an equine source, and the identity of the results obtained by in
oculating cattle with organisms from both equine and bovine sources, are all
facts which make it impossible to regard the trypanosomes affecting cattle as
being other than T. evansi. The differences in the symptoms and pathology
in various outbreaks are attributable to the condition of the affected animals and
the virulence of the particular strain of trypanosome involved.
Acknowledgments.—The authors wish to express their thanks to the Superin
tendent, Sardar Harnam Singh, and Mr. Ragubir Singh, Supervisor of the Karnal
Farm, for their kind co-operation in the control of this outbreak.
REFERENCES.
Anant Narayan Rao, M. (1923). Trypanosomiasis in Cattle. Madras Vet. J.
2, No. 22, 7.
—(1931).
Some Observations on Trypanosomiasis in Madras
Presidency. Ind. Vet. J. 8, 2, 111.
Baermann, C. (1923). The Treatment of Surra with "Bayer 205". Abstr. Trop.
Vety. Bull. 11, 2.
Baldrey, F. H. (1911). J. Trop. Vety. Sc. 5, 596.
Balwant Singh (1930). Indian Vet. J. 6, 4,