APPETITE DEPRESSION IN SHEEP EXPERIMENTALLY INFECTED WITH FASCIOLA-HEPATICA L

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of experimental fasciolosis at various stages of development on the daily food intake of sheep. Five male Churra sheep, 4 months of age, were infected oral ly with 300 Fasciola hepatica metacercariae over a 30 day period. Ther e was a significant increase in serum glutamate dehydrogenase (GLDH) a ctivity from 40 days post-infection and in aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activity from 60 days post-infection. Both enzyme activities rea ched maximum levels in the serum of infected animals at 80 days and th en progressively decreased. Serum gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) acti vity was significantly increased from 80 to 120 days post-infection. G lycaemia was significantly decreased from 60 days post-infection. The average daily food intake was shown to steadily decrease until approxi mately 100 days. The coincidence of decreased food intake with the per iod of significant increase, both in AST and GLDH activities, indicate d that damage caused around the time of migration of immature flukes t hrough the liver parenchyma may be involved in appetite depression.