Association Between Haematocrit, Estimated Haemoglobin, and Helminth Egg Shedding in Creole Cattle from Peru
Keywords:
Bos taurus, haematology, internal parasite, nematode, trematodeAbstract
Gastrointestinal and hepatic parasites affect cattle worldwide, and their impact may vary with husbandry and biological factors. In high-Andean production systems, where exposure to infective stages is continuous, identifying subclinical alterations associated with parasitism is particularly relevant. This study aimed to evaluate the association between directly measured haematocrit (Hct), estimated haemoglobin (Hb), and eggs per gram of faeces (EPG) of Fasciola hepatica and gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) in Creole cattle slaughtered in Cajamarca, Peru. Blood and faecal samples were collected from 50 animals. Hct was determined by microhaematocrit centrifugation, whereas Hb was estimated from Hct using a standard conversion factor. Faecal egg counts were performed using the natural sedimentation technique and flotation with saturated sodium chloride solutions. In the mutually exclusive diagnostic categories, haematological values of parasite-negative cattle (n = 8, 16%) were similar to those of cattle infected only with F. hepatica (n = 20, 40%), only with GIN (n = 11, 22%), or with mixed infection (n = 11, 22%) (p > 0.05). The GIN group exhibited slightly higher Hct/estimated Hb than the other two infected groups (p < 0.05). In F. hepatica infection, Hct/estimated Hb levels were similar between mild and moderate infections (p = 0.731). In contrast, in GIN infections, moderate infections showed values more than three units lower than those observed in mild infections (p = 0.006). EPG in animals positive for F. hepatica showed a moderate negative correlation with Hct/estimated Hb (ρ = -0.464; p < 0.001), whereas no significant correlation was observed between GIN EPG and Hct/estimated Hb (ρ = 0.120; p = 0.406). In conclusion, although the infections occurred without marked alterations, patent fasciolosis was moderately associated with lower Hct/estimated Hb. However, this association should be interpreted as observational and limited to the low-to-moderate egg-shedding range evaluated.
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