Immunomodulation studies on chronic bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum) toxicity and enzootic bovine haematuria affected hill cows

The immunomodulatory effects due to prolonged Bracken fern feeding and spontaneous cases of enzootic bovine haematuria (EBH) were assessed by employing tube agglutination test for Brucella abortus antibodies, DNCB skin test, lymphocyte proliferation assay and histopathological examination of lymph nodes, skin biopsies in hill cows. Prolonged Bracken fern fed and EBH affected hill cows, showed a decrease in humoral and increase in cell-mediated immune responses than the controls.