Clinical Signs, Serum Biochemical Profiles and Reproductive Pathological Lesions in Horses Naturally Infected With Dourine in Western Arsi Zone, Ethiopia
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Date
2015-10
Authors
Gizaw, Yonas
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Publisher
Addis Ababauniversity
Abstract
Dourine a venereal transmitted trypanosomosis is endemic in Ethiopia and is the major health problem threatening equines. Until recently, pathologic tissue changes associated with the disease are poorly described. The present study was conducted from November 2014 to June 2015 with an objective of investigating clinical signs; isolate T. equiperdum from blood, serum biochemical change and reproductive pathological lesions in dourine infected horses. A cross-sectional study design and purposive sampling were used to identify and select dourine infected horses. Twelve mares with typical signs of dourine and serologically positive with CATT/T. evansi were identified. The genital and nervous signs were most commonly observed in infected mares while the cutaneous signs were less prominent in the present study. Despite attempts made to isolate the parasite using woo test, no trypanosomes were detected in all of examined blood samples. There were no significant variation (p>0.05) in the mean values of total protein, albumin, AST, ALT and ALP between the infected and healthy groups but a relative increase were observed in all biochemicals analyzed except mean level of albumin which showed a relative decrease in infected group compared to healthy one. Gross lesions observed in the two euthanized infected mares includes, swollen vulva with visible areas of depigementation, congestion of the mucosa of vagina, thickened and congested mucosa of uterus, ovarian follicular cysts, slightly enlarged and congested spleen, enlarged and swollen liver with multiple necrotic foci. Microscopically, mononuclear cell infiltration mainly of lymphocytes and plasma cells and periglandular inflammation were observed in the vulva, vagina, cervix and uterus. In addition, interstitial mastitis, haemosidrine deposition in the spleen and liver and lymphcocyte depletion in the spleen were observed. The results of these gross and histological findings indicate the presence of various organs involvement with severe degree of lesions. Thus, dourine imposes further pathological studies in naturally and experimentally infected mare and stallions by increasing the sample size.
Key words: Ethiopia, Infiltration, Mare, Mononuclear cells, Serum biochemical, Trypanosoma equiperdum
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Keywords
Ethiopia, Infiltration, Mare, Mononuclear cells, Serum biochemical, Trypanosoma equiperdum