Equine piroplasmosis in Kelantan, Malaysia: Clinicohemato-biochemical alterations in subclinically and clinically infected equids.

Equine piroplasmosis (EP) is global disease of equids affect the international movement of horses and their industry. This work was conducted on a random collection of blood samples from a total of 306 equids (horses and ponies) comprising both clinically healthy (n=276) and clinically suspected animals (n=30) for EP from 53 stables in eight districts at Kelantan, Malaysia. Competitive-inhibition enzyme linked immunosorbent test (cELISA) was applied to detect the antibodies for Theileria equi and Babesia caballi and their titers in the serum. Hemato-biochemical parameters were analyzed from blood and serum samples from clinical and subclinical cases in comparison to healthy animals (n=25) a control group. The overall prevalence of EP infections (T. equi, B. caballi and both infections) in subclinical and clinical infected equids was 70.26 and 9.80 per cent, respectively. The subclinical infection in equids was statistically higher than that of clinical infection (P<0.05). Higher titration of T. equi antibodies in clinical infected cases ranged from 1/160 to 1/1280 in (n=27), whereas in B. caballi the titres ranged from 1/160 to 1/640 (n=26). Manifestation in clinical cases was the acute onset of the disease, with significant Hemato-biochemical changes. Whereas, equids with subclinical infection appeared healthy with absence of clinical signs and non-significant Hemato-biochemical alterations were seen as compared to clinical cases and healthy control groups.

Equine piroplasmosis in Kelantan, Malaysia: Clinicohemato-biochemical alterations in subclinically and clinically infected equids

Equine piroplasmosis (EP) is global disease of equids affect the international movement of horses and their industry. This work was conducted on a random collection of blood samples from a total of 306 equids (horses and ponies) comprising both clinically healthy (n=276) and clinically suspected animals (n=30) for EP from 53 stables in eight districts at Kelantan, Malaysia. Competitive-inhibition enzyme linked immunosorbent test (cELISA) was applied to detect the antibodies for Theileria equi and Babesia caballi and their titers in the serum. Hemato-biochemical parameters were analyzed from blood and serum samples from clinical and subclinical cases in comparison to healthy animals (n=25) a control group. The overall prevalence of EP infections (T. equi, B. caballi and both infections) in subclinical and clinical infected equids was 70.26 and 9.80 per cent, respectively. The subclinical infection in equids was statistically higher than that of clinical infection (P<0.05). Higher titration of T. equi antibodies in clinical infected cases ranged from 1/160 to 1/1280 in (n=27), whereas in B. caballi the titres ranged from 1/160 to 1/640 (n=26). Manifestation in clinical cases was the acute onset of the disease, with significant Hemato-biochemical changes. Whereas, equids with subclinical infection appeared healthy with absence of clinical signs and non-significant Hemato-biochemical alterations were seen as compared to clinical cases and healthy control groups.

Studies of sheep experimentally poisoned with Hypericum perforatum.

Sheep given different dosages and frequencies of Hypericum perforatum had decreased hemoglobin, red blood cell count, packed cell volumes, total protein, glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, and serum alkaline phosphotase activities. Blood urea nitrogen, sodium, potassium, bilrubin (total and direct), and the activities of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase and gamma glutamyltransferase increased. Hemato-biochemical assays were useful diagnostic aids to determine the severity of this plant's toxic effects.

The tonsillar carriage of Pasteurella haemolytica in lambs.

To study colonization of the tonsils by Pasteurella haemolytica, attempts were made to isolate the organism from the tonsils of lambs which died or were killed in the course of unrelated experiments. In addition, repeated tonsillar swabs were taken from 37 lambs and their 28 dams over a 3-month period. From lambs under 3 days old, only A serotypes and untypable strains of P. haemolytica were recovered, while T serotypes were first detected in 3-week-old lambs. As the age of the lambs increased, the fall in the isolation rate of A serotypes and of untypable strains was accompanied by an increase in T serotype isolation. In lambs 9 to 12 weeks old, over 80 per cent of isolates were T serotypes. Of the 222 swabs from live lambs, 88 (40 per cent) yielded P. haemolytica, with more than one serotype being recovered from 24 of the 88 positive swabs. Multiple isolations, mostly of 2 serotypes, were made from lambs of all ages but were commonest at 12 weeks of age. Of the 117 isolates, 70 (60 per cent) were of biotype T, 31 (26 per cent) were of biotype A and 16 (14 per cent) were untypable. P. haemolytica was isolated from 25 of the 28 ewes on 1 to 5 of the 6 sampling occasions. The 65 positive swabs yielded 81 T serotypes (78 per cent), 21 A serotypes (20 per cent) and one untypable strain as 32 single and 33 multiple isolations. The typed isolates comprised 7 A serotypes and 3 T serotypes. Only one serotype (A6) isolated from lambs was not recovered from ewes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Promotion of Pasteurella haemolytica infection in mice by iron.

Mice given 60 micrograms iron, as aqueous ferric ammonium citrate, intravenously were more susceptible than untreated controls to intraperitoneal infection with T serotypes of Pasteurella haemolytica as shown by significant reductions in LD50 values. Iron injection has advantages over administration of bacteria suspended in mucin for studies of P haemolytica infection in mice.