Surra

Definition of Surra
(Scientific name: Trypanosoma evansi)

From the elephant glossary Section: disease

Trypanosoma evansi in the blood of an infected dog

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Surra is a disease of vertebrate animals. The disease is caused by protozoan trypanosomes, specifically Trypanosoma evansi, of several Species which infect the blood of the vertebrate host, causing fever, weakness, and lethargy which lead to weight loss and anemia. In some animals the disease is fatal unless treated. Transferred by Species of Tabanus flies, Trypanosoma evansi development does not take place in the actual vector. In order for the transmission to be successful, trypanosomes need to survive in the gut of the flies and be regurgitated during subsequent feeding. Since Tabanidae are most abundant during rainy and post rainy seasons, that is when most outbreaks of surra occur.

Records about Surra from the Gone Astray: Elephant care manual for Mahouts and camp managers (Thailand)

The trypanosomes are carried by jungle flies and gadflies [Tabanid and Stomoxys spp.] that suck blood from infected animals and then transmit the parasite to healthy animals when they bite them.

Trypanosomiasis is most often found in elephants that have been worked very hard and is usually found in the rainy season, when biting flies are in great abundance.

Clinical Signs:

The clinical signs of trypanosomiasis are usually very difficult to observe.

Before the point where visible symptoms appear, elephants will progressively get thinner and lose strength. The inside of the mouth and the inside of the Trunk become very pale.

The elephant will make sounds that suggest pain, show signs of stomach pain, and breathe hoarsely. It will appear dull, listless and sleepy.

The hair will become coarse and brittle.

Sometimes there is a swelling of the lymph nodes under the jaw.

Infected animals do not die immediately but rather suffer a chronic condition of becoming thinner, increasingly more listless, and suffering progressively debilitated health.

The elephant is likely to die within 2-4 months of infection.

Elephant care manual for Mahouts and camp managers, Preecha Phuangkum, Richard C. Lair and Taweepoke Angkawanith

From Biology, Medicine, and Surgery of Elephants, 2006 by Murray Fowler, Susan K. Mikota

Trypanosoma evansi is the only trypanosome affecting Asian elephants, causing a disease called surra. The African elephant has been reported to be infected with T. congolense in Tanzania and Mozambique and T. brucei in Uganda.

An elephant may live for 3 or 4 years, depending on the care provided.

Elephants that die of surra are typically emaciated. Internal organs are pale and petecchial and ecchymotic hemorrhages may be seen. The Abdomen may contain a large amount of straw-colored fluid and the elephants'>Heart may be pale and flabby.

The flagellate is 15 to 34 µ long. Between episodes of fever, the parasite may be absent from peripheral blood vessels.

Trypanasomes may be difficult to detect in peripheral blood. Dozens of laboratory tests have been used with less than resounding success. PCR technology is perhaps the brightest hope for diagnosis.

Acute surra is characterized by fever, depression, weakness, and edema. The presence of Pulmonary edema may contribute to the development of secondary pneumonia. Females may abort, and the milk of Lactating females may become caseous. Large numbers of trypanosomes are seen in peripheral blood samples. Death may occur within a few weeks.Chronic surra is characterized by intermittent
episodes of fever, anemia, dependant edema, and emaciation.

Many drugs have been used in an attempt to eliminate trypanosomes from various Species of animals. Host responses to the drugs have been variable and unreliable. Drugs that have been used in India include melarsomine (Cymelarsan) and suramin (naganol).

Biology, Medicine, and Surgery of Elephants, 2006 by Murray Fowler, Susan K. Mikota

Trypanosoma evansi, the agent of surra, is a salivarian trypanosome, originating from Africa.

Unless treated with trypanocidal drugs (diminazene aceturate, isometamidium chloride, quinapyramine, suramin, or cymelarsan), the disease can lead to death within 2–8 weeks.

Trypanosoma (Trypanozoon) evansi (Steel 1885) Balbiani, 1888, is the first pathogenic mammalian trypanosome to be described in the world, in 1880, by Griffith Evans, in the blood of Indian equines and dromedaries.

Trypanosomes found in mammals (including humans) are blood and sometimes tissue parasites of the order Kinetoplastida, family of the Trypanosomatidae, genus Trypanosoma, principally transmitted by biting insects, in which most of them undergo a biological cycle.

It can affect a very large range of domestic and wild hosts including camelids, equines, cattle, buffaloes, sheep, goats, pigs, dogs and other carnivores, deer, gazelles, and elephants.

Trypanosoma evansi has been found in elephants (Elephas maximus indicus) in India where it affects them for work; it has also been found in sick elephants in Thailand where some seropositive animals were detected.

The pathogenic effects of T. evansi are classical such as any other pathogenic mammal trypanosomes, including fever, anaemia, loss of appetite and weight, loss of condition and productivity, nervous signs and/or abortion, cachexia, and death, with or without more peculiar signs related to the host Species.

In chronic evolution staring hair and a progressive loss of weight, which can lead to “living Skeletons ” as described by Evans, despite quite a conserved appetite, can be seen, but other authors mention a loss of appetite; emaciation is often accompanied by jaundice and highly coloured urine.

In the Asian elephant, severe symptoms are observed with fever, anaemia, anorexia, oedema of the face, Trunk, neck, brisket, lower Abdomen and limbs, dry and hard skin, sluggish movement, dullness, restlessness, sleepy moods, reluctance to work, ecchymoses, conjunctiva, and a high Mortality rate in Myanmar (Burma) and India [44]. In Thailand, fatal [159] or moderate cases have both been described [84]; treatment with diminazen aceturate gives irregular results with some failures using 5 mg/Kg [159] and some successes using 8 mg/Kg [160], but in the latter case, elimination of the parasite could not de demonstrated.

Trypanosoma evansi and Surra: A Review and Perspectives on Origin, History, Distribution, Taxonomy, Morphology, Hosts, and Pathogenic Effects.

Reference list Koehl, Dan, (2024). Surra. Elephant Encyclopedia, available online retrieved 20 September 2021 at https://www.elephant.se/index.php?id=289. (archived at the Wayback machine)

Sources used for this article is among others:

*FAOGONE
Trypanosoma evansi and Surra: A Review and Perspectives on Origin, History, Distribution, Taxonomy, Morphology, Hosts, and Pathogenic Effects, Marc Desquesnes, Philippe Holzmuller, De-Hua Lai, Alan Dargantes, Zhao-Rong Lun, and Sathaporn Jittaplapong, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3760267/
Adaptation and evaluation of an ELISA for Trypanosoma evansi infection (surra) in elephants and its application to a serological survey in Thailand,

Selected publications

Stephen L. Trypanosomiasis: A Veterinary Perspective. New York, NY, USA: Pergamon Press; 1986.
Tuntasuvan D, Luckins A. Status of Surra in livestock in Thailand. Journal of Protozoological Research. 1998;8:162–170.
Hin-On W, Rodtian P, Nuangmek A, Uthaiwan V, Muangyai M. Surra in timber elephant from Northern thailand, Diagnosis and treatment, A case study. Proceedings of the 30th Annual Conference of the Thai Veterinary Medical Association; November 2004; Bangkok, Thailand. pp. 373–385.

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Definition of Surra(Scientific name: Trypanosoma evansi)

From the elephant glossary Section: disease

Sources used for this article is among others:

Selected external links for this article about Surra:

External relevant search

Definition of Surra
(Scientific name: Trypanosoma evansi)