THE EFFECT OF DICTYOCAULUS FILARIA AND PROTOSTRONGYLUS RUFESCENS ON SOME CLINICAL FINDINGS, HEMATOLOGICAL PICTURE AND SOME BIOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS IN SHEEP AT QENA GOVERNORATE

Abstract

This study was carried out on lungworms infested sheep of different ages, sexes and localities at Qena governorate. 33 sheep were infested with lungworm of which 28 sheep infested with large lungworms Dictyocaulus filaria and 5 sheep infested with small lungworms Protostrongylus nifescens. Also, 45 animals of different ages and sexes were proven to be healthy by clinical and laboratory means and used as control for the work The infested sheep were assured for infestations through fecal analysis by Vida technique. The clinical examinations of the infested sheep in this study revealed variations in the severity and duration of symptoms. The most prominent signs were coughing which was severe and deep appeared in form of persistent paroxysmal bouts, tachypnea, dyspnea, nasal discharges which were scanty serous or mucopurulent in some cases, auscultation on the chest revealed increase of vesicular murmurs and other infested cases showed moist rales , The respiratory rate and pulse ra.te revealed significant increase in infested sheep rather than the healthy ones while the body temperature was normal in most cases. Whole blood and serum samples were collected from each sheep for examination of some haematological and biochemical parameters. The haematological investigations for the infested sheep revealed marked decrease In the values of RBCs, Hb and PCV for erythrogrm. However, the leukogram showed significant increase in total leukocytic count due to eosinophilia and neutrophilia accompanied with lymphopenia. The biochemical profile showed significant increase in serum total proteins and globulin levels, significant decrease in A/G ratio and no marked changes in albumin levels between the infested and healthy animal groups.