Haematological Response of West African Dwarf Bucks Experimentally Infected with Trypanosoma brucei and, treatment with Diaminazene Aceturate (Diminaze®)

ENGLISH/ANGLAIS] Affiliations: Department of Veterinary Surgery and Theriogenology, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, NIGERIA * Email Address for Correspondence/ Adresse de courriel pour la correspondance: ucheosuagwuh@gmai l.com Accepted/Accepté: February, 2014 Full Citation: Osuagwuh U. Haematological response of West African Dwarf Bucks experimentally infected with Trypanosoma brucei and, treatment with Diaminazene Aceturate (Diminaze®). World Journal of Life Science and Medical Research 2014;3(3):88-93. Changes in the haematological values were studied in fifteen West African Dwarf (WAD) goats experimentally infected with Trypanosoma brucei and later treated with Diminaze®. They were divided into two groups and housed in separate fly proof pens. Data on parasitaemia, rectal temperature, weight, packed cell volume (PCV), red blood cell (RBC), haemoglobin (Hb) concentration, mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCHC), and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentrations (MCHC) were determined before infection, during infection and after treatment. Infected bucks developed chronic trypanosomosis which was characterized by intermittent pyrexia, slight drop in body condition and irregular parasitaemia. There was a significant difference (p<0.05) in the mean values of PCV, Hb concentration, RBC, MCH and MCV but a non significant difference (p˃0.05) in MCHC when compared with the control animals. However, it was observed that, for all parameters studied, treatment with Diminaze® led to rapid improvement to its initial status prior to infection and no statistical significant difference was observed when compared with the control animals. The result from this investigation show that T. brucei infection caused significant changes in the haematological values WAD goats but recovery was rapid following treatment with Diminaze®.