Thesis (M.Sc.) - Cairo University - Faculty of Veterinary Medicine - Department of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases

Parasites are the most common cause of colic and other significant health conditions in equines, among them is the strongyles species. The horses in the study were administered rotational periodic treatment with anthelmintic (pyrantel tartarate and ivermectin paste), while the donkeys were not initially given treatment. A number of fecal and blood samples (whole blood and serum) were taken from horses and donkeys. The fecal samples of both horses and donkeys were subjected to fecal flotation test. The donkeys were positive for strongyle type egg and negative for other eggs. The horses were negative for eggs. The donkeys were examined by McMaster technique yielding an average of 790 EPG and fecal culture demonstrating Strongylus equinus larvae. The whole blood samples collected from donkeys and horses used for hematological examination yielded average readings as follows; (1) Horses (RBCs 7.24 106/æl, PCV 41.6%, hemoglobin 14.8 g/dL, WBCs 7.6 103/ æl, neutrophils 46.1%, lymphocytes 40.1%, eosinophils 8.0%, basophils 1.5%, monocytes 4.5%, MCV 57.4 fL, MCH 20.4 pg and MCHC 35.7 g/dL), (2) Donkeys (RBCs 4.7 106/æl, PCV 29.2%, hemoglobin 9.9 g/dL, WBCs 10.6 103/æl, neutrophils 45.4%, lymphocytes 37.2%, eosinophils 12.6%, basophils 0.4%, monocytes 4.4%, MCV 62.7 fL, MCH 21.2 pg and MCHC 33.9 g/dL). The sera collected from donkeys and horses used for biochemical examination yielded an average readings as follows; (1) Horses (total protein 6.2 g/dL, albumin 3.5 g/dL, globulin 2.7 g/dL, A/G 1.5, ALT 13.2 U/L, GGT 16.8 U/L, BUN 13.8 mg/dL, creatinine 1.4 mg/dL, calcium 10.6 mg/dL and phosphorus 5.0 mg/dL), (2) Donkeys (total protein 4.1 g/dL, albumin 1.8 g/dL, globulin 2.4 g/dL, A/G 0.8, ALT 46.4 U/L, GGT 83.6 U/L, BUN 22.8 mg/dL, creatinine 0.9 mg/dL, calcium 9.0 mg/dL and phosphorus 3.4 mg/dL). The donkeys were tested again after using pyrantel tartarate using McMaster technique with an average count of 272 EPG, hematological examination (averaging RBCs 5.5 106/æl, PCV 31.8%, hemoglobin 10.7 g/dL, WBCs 10.7 103/æl, neutrophils 46.2%, lymphocytes 39.2%, eosinophils 10.6%, basophils 0.4%, monocytes 3.6%, MCV 57.7 fL, MCH 19.3 pg and MCHC 33.5 g/dL) and biochemical examination (averaging total protein 4.3 g/dL, albumin 2.0 g/dL, globulin 2.3 g/dL, A/G 0.9, ALT 58.9 U/L, GGT 115.6 U/L, BUN 25.2 mg/dL, creatinine 1.3 mg/dL, calcium 7.2 mg/dL and phosphorus 4.8 mg/dL). The presented results here in this study, when comparing before and after treatment with anthelmintic, confirms the effect of gastrointestinal nematodes infestation, with special reference to Strongylus species, in Egyptian environmental conditions on biochemical and hematological profile of equine species, which act as metabolic biomarkers, and the efficacy of the current implemented periodic rotational treatment with anthelmintics in Egyp

Issued also as CD