Abstract

A comparative study of haematological changes in Savannah brown goats experimentally infected with Trypanosoma brucei and Trypanosoma vivax was carried out using thirty (30) goats aged between 20 and 48 months and average weight of 13.00 kg. The parameters determined before and after infection included parasitemia, rectal temperature, weight, PCV, and total plasma protein. The mean weight, rectal temperature, parasitemia, packed cell volume, total plasma protein of T. brucei infected goats were 11.88 kg, 39.18°C, 2.40, 22.1% and 11.88 g/dl, respectively, while T. vivax infected goats were 12.34 kg, 39.18°C, 2.20, 23.2% and 12.34 g/dl, respectively. The values of the same parameters in the control were 14.89 kg, 38.70°C, 25.8% and 7.06 g/dl, respectively. The parasites significantly (P < 0.05) affected the haematological parameters of the animals. T. brucei infection in the goats was more severe than the T. vivax infection.  

Key word: Trypanosoma brucei, T. vivax, haematology.