ABSTRACT
Schistosomiasis is a worldwide snail-borne parasitic infestation of man and animals with acute or chronic phases having devastating sequelae. The present case report focused on post-mortem examination of a cachexic Dongola stallion (Equus ferus caballus Linnaeus, 1758) in Abuja, Nigeria, that failed to respond to treatment. Typical dense collagenous granulomatous lesions with marked inflammatory responses and fibrosis occurred in the liver and several visceral organs of the horse along with other lesions indicative of systemic collapse. Special Ziehl-Neelsen and Periodic Acid-Schiff staining as well as microbial culture returned negative results to rule out acid-fast bacilli, fungal, and other bacterial involvement. In addition, the presence of a yellowish-brown eggshell within fibrosing granulomatous lesions led to the diagnosis of chronic schistosomiasis. Prolonged malnutrition under harsh and changing increment weather conditions with lack of medical care following the infection might have predisposed the horse to the recorded systemic collapse in the present case. The dearth of information on the ante-mortem evaluation of acute equine schistosomiasis cases notwithstanding, the observed lesions/cellular changes reinforced associated multi-organ damages and systemic collapse in chronic cases. Our findings highlighted the pathological presentations and prognosis of chronic schistosomiasis and its triggers, especially in endemic areas, and in horses that often do not present obvious clinical manifestations.
ABSTRACT
The effects of vitamin C administration at varying time intervals on rectal temperature, respiratory rates, heart rates and sleeping time following xylazine anaesthesia was evaluated in rabbits. A total of 36 rabbits placed in six groups (A-F) with 6 animals per group each were used. Groups A and B were used as controls for vitamin C (120 mg/kg, oral) and xylazine (4 mg/kg, intramuscular) treatments, respectively, while groups C-F received vitamin C at four intervals prior to xylazine anaesthesia. The result of the study showed that vitamin C pre-medication prior to xylazine anaesthesia induced depression in respiratory and heart rates and a slight increase in rectal temperature. It also significantly increased sleeping time in rabbits (p<0.05). The lengthiest duration of sleep was observed among rabbits that received vitamin C 60 min prior to xylazine anaesthesia. Vitamin C administration 10 min prior to xylazine anaesthesia in rabbits induced a sleeping time three times the value compared to those animals that had received xylazine anaesthesia alone. However, the study did not observe a significant difference (p>0.05) in temperature between groups either before or after xylazine administration. It was concluded that vitamin C alters the clinical parameters as well as the sleeping time in rabbits under xylazine anaesthesia.
