Immuno-physiology of Babesia bovis infection in the adult bovine : a dissertation /
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| Format: | Thesis Book |
| Language: | English |
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[Texas A&M University],
[College Station, Tex.] : [1980]
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| Abstract: | ABSTRACT: Twelve adult Bosindicus cross-bred cows (Experiment I) and four two-year old Angus steers (Experiment II) were inoculated, i.v., with Babesia bovis-infected tick derived stabilate. An additional four Bos indicus cross-red cows and two, two-year old Angus steers were inoculated with heat-inactivated Babesia bovis-infected tick derived stabilate. The six animals treated with heat-inactivated B. bovis tick derived stabilate were termed the controls(C). The sixteen principals were divided into groups: a) those animals that became significantly ill (SI), b) those animals that were not significantly ill (NSI) and c) those animals that died (D). The course of babesiosis was followed for 35 days post-inoculation. Blood was obtained for hematology, clinical biochemistries, red blood cell studies and serology from the jugular vein of each animal approximately every other day until the packed cell volumes (PCV) of the principals began to drop. At that time daily bleeding commenced. Alternate day bleeding resumed after the PCV of the surviving animals began to ascend. The experimental results of the principal animals were compared to the controls by normalizing and graphing the data. Furthermore, the daily means of each group were compared to the controls by an analysis of variance. Significant differences were established at the p[less than or equal to] 0.05 level with Duncan's Multiple Range Test. The results showed that adult cattle infected with Babesia bovis undergo a three-phase reaction. During phase one (day 0 to day 10 post infection, P.I.) the principal groups' values began to shift from C levels. Phase two (day 10 through 15 P.I.) was the period of acute disease and considerable differences were seen in the hematology, enzyme and metabolite values of the SI and D groups. All the D group animals died during phase two. Phase three involved the gradual, though incomplete, recovery of the SI group back toward C values. Phase one SI and D values were generally characterized by a drop in inorganic phosphate, a transient hyperglycemia followed by hypoglycemia, a transient leukocytosis followed by a frank leukopenia, a group in albumin and a rise in alpha globulins. The flutathione reductase and ATP concentrations in the blood and hemoglobin dropped. Pyrexia was the notable clinical sign during phase one. Phase two results reflected the severe anemia and concomitant tissue and cellular hypoxia that occurred at that time. It was during this time that almost all hematologic, enzymatic and metabolic values showed the most extreme changes. The results were correlated with the reports of other studies on babesiosis in cattle. The conclusion was that a parasite-associates metabolite with endotoxin-like characteristics initiated the changes seen in phase one. |
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| Item Description: | Typescript (photocopy). Vita. "Major subject: Veterinary Microbiology". "Submitted to the Graduate College of Texas A&M University in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy December 1980". |
| Physical Description: | xiii, 219 leaves : graphs ; 29 cm |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references (leaves 122-131). |