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Climate change impact on blood haemogram in the horse: a three-year preliminary study.
Abstract: The global climatic changes pose a substantial threat to the well-being and productivity of both humans and animals. Unassigned: This study examined the impact of climate changes during different seasons over a 3-year monitoring period (2021-2023) on various blood parameters including, white blood cells (WBC), neutrophils, basophils, eosinophils, lymphocytes, and monocytes, hematocrit (HCT), hemoglobin (HGB), red blood cells (RBC), platelets (PLT), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), and mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH). The study focused on 25 Thoroughbred mares located in Kastamonu-Türkiye. Thermal and hygrometric parameters, including ambient temperature, relative humidity, and ventilation, were collected. Subsequently, Temperature-Humidity index (THI) was computed. Blood samples were collected on the first day of every month from January 2021 to December 2023 and used for a complete blood count analysis. Between 2021 and 2023, changes in environmental indicators were correlated to changes in hematological parameters. Unassigned: Two-way for repeated measures ANOVA revealed a significant seasonal fluctuation (<0.0001) in ambient temperature, relative humidity, and THI. There was a reduction in RBC (<0.01), and MCH (<0.01) every year, HGB (<0.0001) in summer 2021, 2022 and in summer and autumn 2023. HCT (<0.0001), MCV (<0.01), showed decreasing values in autumn 2022 and 2023. MCHC values showed increasing values in July and August 2021, 2022 and in June 2023. WBC levels increased throughout the spring periods of 2021 and 2022. In April 2021, there were elevated levels of lymphocytes and monocytes (<0.0001) respectively. Unassigned: These findings could be helpful to promote the monitoring of physiological status both for the assessment of welfare status and for diagnostic purposes for the evaluation of possible disease outbreaks due to climate change in veterinary medicine.
Copyright © 2024 Deniz, Aragona, Murphy, Tümer, Bozacı and Fazio.
Publication Date: 2024-12-16 PubMed ID: 39736933PubMed Central: PMC11683153DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2024.1482268Google Scholar: Lookup The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- Journal Article
Summary
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The research article describes a preliminary three-year study which examined the implications of climate change on various blood parameters in horses. The data collected potentially assists welfare assessments and aids in diagnosing possible diseases linked to climate change.
Study Methodology
- The study was conducted over a span of three years, from 2021 to 2023.
- 25 Thoroughbred mares located in Kastamonu-Türkiye were observed.
- Climate variables, including ambient temperature, relative humidity, and ventilation, were monitored and used to calculate the Temperature-Humidity Index (THI).
- Blood samples were collected monthly for complete blood count analysis.
- The monthly blood data was then compared with the changes in environmental indicators for each year.
Key Findings
- The researchers found significant seasonal fluctuation in the climatic variables such as ambient temperature, relative humidity, and THI.
- There were observable changes in various blood parameters.
- Red blood cell (RBC) count and mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) decreased every year in the examined horse population.
- In the summer of 2021, 2022 and autumn of 2023, hemoglobin (HGB) levels dropped significantly.
- In the autumn of 2022 and 2023, hematocrit (HCT) and mean corpuscular volume (MCV) exhibited decreasing trends.
- The mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) spiked in the July and August of 2021, 2022, and in June 2023.
- White blood cell (WBC) levels increased throughout the springs of 2021 and 2022, while levels of lymphocytes and monocytes were elevated in April of 2021.
Implications of the Study
- This study is significant because it indicates climate change can influence varied blood parameters in horses.
- Understanding these variations might be pivotal in preserving the welfare of the horses through early detection of physiological changes.
- Additionally, this knowledge could aid in diagnosing potential diseases that might be caused by climatic changes.
- The findings could serve as a groundwork for further research to enhance climate change adaptation strategies in veterinary medicine.
Cite This Article
APA
Deniz Ö, Aragona F, Murphy BA, Tümer KÇ, Bozacı S, Fazio F.
(2024).
Climate change impact on blood haemogram in the horse: a three-year preliminary study.
Front Vet Sci, 11, 1482268.
https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2024.1482268 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Clinical Science and Internal Medicine, Kastamonu University, Kastamonu, Türkiye.
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Messina, Messina, Italy.
- School of Agriculture and Food Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Clinical Science and Internal Medicine, Kastamonu University, Kastamonu, Türkiye.
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Clinical Science and Internal Medicine, Kastamonu University, Kastamonu, Türkiye.
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Messina, Messina, Italy.
Conflict of Interest Statement
The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
Citations
This article has been cited 4 times.- Deniz Ö, Erol HS, van den Hoven R, Onmaz AC, Aragona F, Fazio F. Monitoring Weaning Stress in Fillies and Colts on a Thoroughbred Breeding Farm by Cortisol and Blood Inflammatory Markers: The Benefits of Gradual Separation and Social Support. Animals (Basel) 2025 Dec 10;15(24).
- Aragona F, Giannetto C, Piccione G, Arfuso F, Arrigo F, Costa A, De Caro S, Cannuli A, Fazio F. Effect of time of day and physical exercise on inflammatory biomarkers in athletic horses. Front Vet Sci 2025;12:1608770.
- Aragona F, Rizzo M, Giudice E, Fazio F, Costa A, Di Bella B, De Caro S, Arfuso F, Briglia M, Piccione G, Giannetto C. Circadian Oscillation of Leukocyte Subpopulations and Inflammatory Cytokines over a 24-H Period in Horses. Vet Sci 2025 Apr 20;12(4).
- Piccione G, Arfuso F, Giudice E, Aragona F, Pugliatti P, Panzera MF, Zumbo A, Monteverde V, Bartolo V, Barbera A, Giannetto C. Dynamic Adaptation of Hematological Parameters, Albumin, and Non-Esterified Fatty Acids in Saddlebred and Standardbred Horses During Exercise. Animals (Basel) 2025 Jan 21;15(3).
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