Hematological and Biochemical Changes in Naturally Occurring Equine Piroplasmosis in Donkeys (Equus asinus) of Northwest of Iran.
Abstract: Equine piroplasmosis is a tick-borne protozoal disease affecting horses, mules, donkeys and zebras and can lead to severe economic losses in the equine industry. There is limited information on clinical pathologic changes of equine piroplasmosis in donkeys. This study aims to investigate the impacts of babesiosis on various hematological and biochemical properties in naturally infected donkeys with Theileria equi and Babesia caballi. Methods: A total of 200 apparently healthy donkeys were randomly examined for the presence of equine piroplasmosis in blood samples. Of 200 samples, 11(5.5%) animals were positive for T. equi and 3(1.5%) of the samples were infected with B. caballi. 14 uninfected donkeys, were also selected as a control group. Results: The results of the comparison showed that infected donkeys presented a significant elevation (P < 0.05) of total leukocyte count, number of lymphocyte, monocyte, neutrophil and eosinophil, while showed a significant decreased in (P < 0.05) hemoglobin concentration (Hb), packed cell volume (PCV), red blood cells (RBCs), mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC). The infected donkeys had significantly higher levels of total protein and total bilirubin (P < 0.05), whereas the amount of albumin was significantly lower in comparison to healthy animals (P < 0.05). It is interesting to note that the amounts of urea, cholesterol, creatinine, triglyceride, LDL and HDL, CK, AST, LDH, GGT, and Malondialdehyde were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in infected donkeys. Conclusions: The current study describes laboratory findings in the affected donkeys which were good criteria for diagnosis and control of equine piroplasmosis in donkeys.
Publication Date: 2020-05-27 PubMed ID: 32462264DOI: 10.2478/s11686-020-00223-0Google 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
This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.
The study investigates the effects of equine piroplasmosis, a tick-borne disease, on the blood and chemical properties of donkeys. The research indicated significant changes in both the hematological (pertaining to blood) and biochemical (pertaining to chemical processes in organisms) profiles of the infected donkeys.
Study Methodology
- This study focused on the impact of piroplasmosis on donkeys, specifically caused by two parasites – Theileria equi and Babesia caballi.
- 200 donkeys appeared healthy were tested for the presence of equine piroplasmosis. Among them, 14 tested positive for the disease and were compared to 14 uninfected donkeys used as controls.
- From the 200 donkeys, 5.5% were found infected with T. equi and 1.5% were infected with B. caballi.
Impact on Hematological Properties
- Infected donkeys displayed a significant increase in total leukocyte count, lymphocytes, monocytes, neutrophils, and eosinophils, all types of white blood cells involved in immune responses.
- Conversely, there was a marked decrease in hemoglobin concentration, packed cell volume (PCV), red blood cell (RBCs) count, mean corpuscular volume (MCV), and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC). These parameters typically measure the ability of the blood to carry oxygen.
Impact on Biochemical Properties
- Infected donkeys had higher levels of total protein and total bilirubin, and lower levels of albumin when compared to the healthy group.
- Additionally, significant increases were also observed in urea, cholesterol, creatinine, triglyceride, low-density lipoproteins (LDL), high-density lipoproteins (HDL), creatine kinase (CK), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), and malondialdehyde in infected donkeys.
Conclusions
- The significant hematological and biochemical changes observed in infected donkeys propose these laboratory findings could serve as important criteria for diagnosing and controlling equine piroplasmosis.
Cite This Article
APA
Ahmadi Afshar N, Malekifard F, Asri Rezaei S, Tavassoli M.
(2020).
Hematological and Biochemical Changes in Naturally Occurring Equine Piroplasmosis in Donkeys (Equus asinus) of Northwest of Iran.
Acta Parasitol, 65(4), 811-816.
https://doi.org/10.2478/s11686-020-00223-0 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran.
- Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran. f.malekifard@urmia.ac.ir.
- Department of Internal Diseases and Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran.
- Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Babesiosis / epidemiology
- Cattle
- Equidae
- Horse Diseases
- Horses
- Iran / epidemiology
- Theileria
- Theileriasis / epidemiology
Citations
This article has been cited 1 times.- Sazmand A, Bahari A, Papi S, Otranto D. Parasitic diseases of equids in Iran (1931-2020): a literature review. Parasit Vectors 2020 Nov 19;13(1):586.
Use Nutrition Calculator
Check if your horse's diet meets their nutrition requirements with our easy-to-use tool Check your horse's diet with our easy-to-use tool
Talk to a Nutritionist
Discuss your horse's feeding plan with our experts over a free phone consultation Discuss your horse's diet over a phone consultation
Submit Diet Evaluation
Get a customized feeding plan for your horse formulated by our equine nutritionists Get a custom feeding plan formulated by our nutritionists
