Clinical and hemato-biochemical studies in Awassi lambs infected with coccidiosis

Abstract EN

The study was conducted on 95 lambs, divided into two groups depending on clinical signs, 55 lambs were clinically healthy and 40 lambs had bloody diarrhea and their feces had oocysts of Eimeria species.

“Blood samples were collected from the jugular vein” into EDTA tubes for hematological value and plain tubes to separated sera were directly used for chemical investigation during January 2016 until April 2016 both groups aged 1 – 6 month in Najaf province.

Results showed that the ranges and means ± SE of blood picture in healthy and infected with coccidia lambs were as follows; packed cell volume (PCV) 33.5 ± 0.47 % and 23.9 ± 0.46 %, hemoglobin (Hb) 10.9 ± 0.17 g/dL and 6.8 ± 0.12 g/dL, red blood cell (RBC) 10.6 ± 0.15 ×10⁶ /μL and 8.8 ± 0.24 ×10⁶ /μL, mean cell volume (MCV) 31.6 ± 0.37 fL and 27.5 ± 0.59 fL, mean cell hemoglobin (MCH) 10.3 ± 0.14 pg and 7.9 ± 0.15 pg, mean cell hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) 32.7 ± 0.16 g/dL and 28.8 ± 0.34 g/dL, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) 9 ± 0.54 mm/24h and 19.1 ± 2.10 mm/24h, white blood cell count (WBC) 9231 ± 379.3 /μL and 13707 ± 562.8 /μL, lymphocytes (L) 55.8 ± 1.27 /μL and 43 ± 1.46 /μL, neutrophils (N) 30.6 ± 0.76 /μL and 40.6 ± 2.25 /μL, monocytes 0.9 ± 0.10 /μL and 2.2 ± 0.30 /μL, eosinophil’s 1.9 ± 0.27 /μL and5.2 ± 0.64 /μL, basophils 0.3 ± 0.05 /μL and 0.3 ± 0.07 /μL respectively.

Serum analysis in healthy and infected with coccidia lambs were as follows; iron 27.2 ± 0.75 μmol/L and 11.4 ± 0.59 μmol/L, copper 18.4 ± 0.74 μmol/L and 10.3 ± 0.50 μmol/L respectively.

There were a significant decrease (P<0.05) in, RBC, Hb, PCV, MCH, MCV, MCHC and lymphocyte.

Also, there were a significant increase (P<0.05) in WBC, ESR, neutrophils, eosinophil’s and monocyte count was observed in all lamb infected with coccidiosis.

On the other hand, there were a significant decrease (P<0.05) in iron and copper in all lamb infected with coccidiosis.

The research concluded that lamb coccidiosis was associated with bloody diarrhea, tenesmus, anemia, hemoconcentration, leucocytosis, neutrophilia, eosinophilia, and a reduction in serum iron and copper.