SERUM BIOCHEMICAL AND HAEMATOLOGICAL STUDIES IN CATTLE INFECTED WITH EPHEMERAL FEVER (THREE DAYS SICKNESS) VIRUS

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Animal Health Research Institute (Banha Branch, Chemistry Department)

2 Animal Health Research Institute (Virology Department, Dokki,Giza)

Abstract

Eighty male cattle (6 – 8 months age) were divided into four equal groups, the 1st.. group is the normal (negative control) group, the 2nd.. 3rd.. and 4th., groups showed clinical signs of Bovine Ephemeral Fever (BEF) disease. The 2nd., group was left untreated and considered as the positive control, the 3rd., and 4th., groups were therapeutically treated with flumequine and oxytetracycline hydrochloride antibacterials, respectively (once a day for 3-successive days). Results revealed isolation and identification of the BEF- virus from the 2nd., 3rd., and 4th.. groups. The oxytetracycline treated group showed a significant increase of the specific antibody titer against BEF-viral infection, lymphocyte percentage and the immunoglobulins than that of BEF-infected non-treated positive control cattle. The alpha- (α) globulins increased significantly in positive control animals than that of normal negative control Ones. Total globulins decreased significantly and the neutrophil percentage increased significantly in all BEF diseased cattle than that of normal animals. Serum iron, cobalt, cupper and zinc were significantly decreased in all BEF infected groups than that of normal group. Serum Lead significantly increased only by either flumequine or oxytetracycline treated animals than in normal animals. Except by flumequine treatment, serum sodium increased significantly and potassium de- creased significantly in BEF diseased cattle than that of normal negative control animals. Total bilirubin significantly increased only by either flumequine or oxytetracycline treatment than that in normal cattle. It could be concluded that oxytetracycline antibi- otic should be the recommended therapy during The coarse of BEF disease in cattle because it improves hypogammaglobulinemia and lymphopenia that induced in BEF infected cattle. Also,cupper, iron, cobalt, zinc, selenium and potassium therapy should be administered to substitute their deficiencies in BEF infected cattle. Alkaline diet and calcium gluconate therapy should be ad- vised to demobilizing the excess of lead from circulation into the bones and soft tissues in cases of oxytetratycline treatment of BEF-diseased cattle.

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