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P a g e |6 Vol.10 Issue 2 (Ver 1.0) October 2010 Global Journal of Medical Research Effects of Acarida GalleInfection on Body Weight, Packed Cell Volume, Hemoglobin Level and Total Plasma Protein of Experimentally Infected Domestic Pigeons (C. L. Domestic) In Zaria, NLMC GJMR Classification Nigeria WQ70,WB280 Adang, K. L.1, Abdu, P. A.2, Ajanusi, J. O.3, Oniye, S. J. Ezealor, A. U.4, Abstract-A study on the effects of Ascaridia galli infection on Weights, plasma protein values, packed cell volume (PCV) the body weight, packed cell volume, haemoglobin level and values and haemoglobin (Hb) level values. total plasma protein of experimentally infected Domestic Pigeons was carried out at the postgraduate laboratory of the II. MATERALS AND METHODS department of Biological Sciences, Ahmadu Bello University, a) procurement and acclimatization of birds and Zaria, Nigeria. Two groups (A and B) made up of 30 birds each, were used. Birds in group A were each infected with a A total of 60 pigeons comprising of 30 males and 30 700 dose of infective eggs of A. galli while birds in group B females, bought from Sabo and Samaru markets in Zaria, served as controls.Clinical signs observed in the infected birds Nigeria were used for the experiment.The birds were housed were blood-tinged diarrhoea, loss of appetite, birds looking in the postgraduate animal laboratory of the department of dropsy, head nodding downwards, ruffled feathers, shivering Biological Sciences, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and emaciation.At the termination of the experiment, 12 weeks Nigeria. The birds were acclimatized for a period of three after infection, a significant difference in body weight (P <0.05) weeks prior to the commencement of the experiment. was observed over the weeks in group A, and not in group B. During this period, the birds were checked and treated for Although there were differences in the values of the packed cell various parasites, to certify them parasite-free. volume (PCV), haemoglobin level (Hb) and total plasma proteins over the weeks within the infected and control groups, At the end of the acclimatization period, the birds were these differences were not statistically significant, in both divided into two groups of 30 birds each, consisting of 15 groups (P>0.05).The implications of these findings are males and 15 females.Group A comprised of infected C. l. discussed. domestica while group B comprised of non-infected C. l. domestica (controls)The birds in each group were tagged I. INTRODUCTION with numbers for proper identification during data scaridiasis is an intricate problem to poultry breeders, collection.The birds were fed al libitum and via cocktail or Aand so it could be to pigeon breeders and fanciers. It is cafeteria style, with guinea corn and millet, red maize and one of the major causes for the reduction in egg production, groundnut as sources of protein. Vitalites were added to reduced growth rate in broilers and consequently responsible drinking water as recommended to cater for vitamins and for economic losses to the poultry industry. In severe mineral salts.Water and feed were provided in drinking and infections, intestinal blockage occurs and chickens infected feeding troughs. The cages were fitted with dropping boards with a large number of ascarids, suffer from loss of blood, that were regularly emptied. Prior to infection, the following reduced blood sugar content, increased urates, shrunken parameters were taken for all the birds; weight, PCV, total thymus glands, retarded growth, and greatly increases plasma protein and Hb level values mortality (Reid and Carmon, 1958; Ikeme, 1971a). Perusal b) production of infective eggs of ascaridia galli of the available literature indicated, very meager published information exists on the effects of A. galli infection in Eggs used for infection were obtained from live adult pigeons on these parameters. The purpose of this study was females of A. gallicollected from Pigeons slaughtered at therefore, to evaluate the effects of A. galli infection on Sabo, Samaru and Tudun wada markets all in Zaria, Nigeria. these parameters in Domestic pigeon in Zaria, Nigeria, The worms were collected in specimen bottles containing based on weekly changes in body 0.9% physiologic saline and taken to the laboratory. In the laboratory, the worms were crushed using a mortar and pistle in distilled water to recover the eggs from uteri. The crushed worms were then filtered out using a mesh of 0.01 mesh size into a beaker. The filtrate was then allowed to stand for about an hour after which the supernatant was _______________________________ decanted. The sediments were then washed with 0.5 M 1 About --Department of Biological Sciences, Gombe State University,Gombe Sodium hydroxide solution into a beaker and agitated gently 2 About -Department of Veterinary Surgery and Medicine 3 for 30 minutes in order to dissolve the sticky albuminous About -Department of Veterinary Parasitology and Entomology 4 layer of eggs and allowed for uniform sampling (Fairbairn, About -. Department of Biological Sciences Ahmadu Bello Unversity, Zaria, Nigeria. 1970; Hansen et al., 1954).This was then placed in centrifuge tubes and centrifuged at 1500 rpm for 3 minutes to recover the eggs. The recovered eggs were then washed Global Journal of Medical Research Vol. 10 Issue 2(Ver1.0) October 2010 P a g e | 7 three times in distilled water and also three times in needles collected using heparinised capillary tubes. Packed embryonating fluid which was a solution of 0.05 M Cell Volume (PCV) was determined using capillary Sulphuric acid.The eggs collected were suspended in microhaematocrit procedure (Coles, 1986). Plasma protein embryonating fluid and placed in plastic troughs. These values were obtained from plasma in the capillary tubes, by were then left to stand for 12 days in the laboratory at 30oc . putting drops on total solids meter, hand refractometer and Embryonating fluid was periodically added to the eggs reading the plasma protein concentration directly in g/100 cultures to avoid drying. Embryonated eggs were stored at ml. Haemoglobin level values were determined by dividing room temperature for two weeks before infection of the the PCV values by a factor of three (Coles, 1986).Faecal birds. sample examination was carried out using simple floating technique, from the second week after infection, until c ) bird infection infection was ascertained by detection of ascarid eggs in the The birds were dosed by taking equal amounts of faeces of infected birds. The experiment was terminated on agitated egg suspension with the 12th week after infection. 5 ml syringe and injecting directly into the crop, using 20 G d) Data analysis x 1.5inch needles. The birds in group A (infected birds) each The data collected was subjected to statistical analysis, using received 0.75 ml of egg suspension containing 700 viable the Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). eggs.The birds in group B (non-infected birds) serving as controls, were each given 0.75 ml of egg-free suspension III. RESULTS fluid (Sucrose solution).The birds were weighed and blood Changes in body weightThe weekly weight means of samples taken before infection. After infection, the birds infected and non-infected pigeons are shown in Figure 1. were weighed and blood samples were taken for Weekly changes in body weights in the infected group determination of packed cell volume (PCV), total plasma (Group A) were statistically significant (P<0.05) compared protein and haemoglobin level on weekly bases. to those in the non-infected group (Group B) which were not The birds were weighed using sartorius electric weighing significant (P>0.05). balance (CP 8201) sensitive to 0.01g. Blood samples were obtained by saphenous venipunture using 20 G x 1½ inches 280 275 270 265 Group B control 260 Group A infected 255 Meanweight values 250 245 240 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Weeks Figure 1: Weekly weight means of infected and control groups of pigeons. was no consistent change in the PCV values in both the infected and non-infected groups. Weekly changes in PCV 1) packed cell volume (pcv) values were rather erratic in both groups showing no statistically significant differences (P>0.05). The weekly means of packed cell volume values of infected and non-infected birds are shown in Figure 2. There P a g e |8 Vol.10 Issue 2 (Ver 1.0) October 2010 Global Journal of Medical Research 55 54 53 52 Group B control Group A infected 51 Figure Mean PCV values 50 2: Weekly means of PCV of infected and control groups of pigeons 49 48 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Weeks Figure 2: Weekly means of PCV of infected and control groups of pigeons 2) haemoglobin level and non-infected groups. There was also no statistically significant differences in the Hb level values within the two The weekly means of Hb level values of infected and groups over the 12 weeks period of experimentation non-infected birds are shown in Figure 3. There was no (P>0.05). consistent change in the Hb level values in both the infected 18.5 18 17.5 Group B Control Group A Infected 17 MeanLevelHbValues 16.5 16 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Weeks figer 3: Weekly means of Haemoglobin level of infected and control groups of pigeons Changes in total plasma protein values, decreased slightly over the weeks in the infected group, and almost consistent 3) Total plasma protein in the control group. Differences in the total plasma protein values in both infected and non-infected groups, over the Figure 4 shows the weekly means of total plasma weeks were not statistically significant (P< 0.05).