HEMATOLOGICAL AND BIOCHEMICAL-STUDIES ON EXPERIMENTAL THEILERIA-ANNULATA INFECTION IN CROSSBRED CALVES

Administration of ground-up tick tissue stabilate (0.75 tick equivalen t) by the subcutaneous route to crossbred calves aged 1 week to 1 mont h led to the development of acute theileriosis. Haematological studies revealed significant progressive decreases in haemoglobin concentrati on, packed cell volume and red blood cell count, whereas the total leu kocyte count showed an initial non-significant leukocytosis followed b y a significant leukopenia. Analysis of serum revealed significant inc reases in levels of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransfera se, alkaline phosphatase, creatinine kinase and gamma-glutamyltransfer ase, and in the concentrations of uric acid, blood urea nitrogen and b ilirubin. The concentrations of total protein, albumin, glucose, chole sterol and calcium showed non-significant decreases, while phosphorus decreased significantly during the terminal stages of the disease.