Chronic Fascioliasis as Cause of Unthriftiness in Sheep with Reference to its Impacts on Blood Constituents

Ten adult sheep (2-4 years of age) and eight lambs (5–12 month old), of both sexes were involved in this study. Ten apparently healthy sheep (5 adults and 5 lambs) were also used as a control group. The selected animals were presented with prominent clinical signs of progressive weight loss (in adults), underweight (in lambs), profuse watery diarrhea and edematous swelling of the intermandibular space. Blood as well as fecal and feed samples were analyzed for the selected parameters.

The obtained results for hematological values revealed significant decrease (P<0.05) in the total erythrocytic cell counts, hemoglobin concentration and packed cell volume in both sheep and lambs if compared with those of the apparently healthy ones. The mean values of mean corpuscular volume (MCV) were significantly increased associated with significant decrease (P<0.05) in mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) indicating a macrocytic hypochromic anemia. Also there was significant increase (P<0.05) in the total leucocytic counts with marked eosinophilia in ill thrifty sheep and lambs when compared with those of the apparently healthy ones.

The obtained values for the selected biochemical parameters in blood serum values revealed a significant reduction (P<0.05) in the mean values of serum copper, iron, zinc, glucose, total protein and albumin in unthrifty sheep and lambs compared with those of the apparently healthy ones. Fecal examination revealed yellow brown thin walled, operculated eggs specific for fasciola species. The diseased animals were treated by using closantil at a dose rate of 1ml/10 kg Bwt S/C, there were significant improvement in the general health status of all diseased animals.