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Hematological and Plasma Biochemistry of the Adult Wild African Grasscutter ( Thryonomys swinderianus )
Author(s) -
Opara Maxwell N.,
Fagbemi Benjamin O.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
annals of the new york academy of sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.712
H-Index - 248
eISSN - 1749-6632
pISSN - 0077-8923
DOI - 10.1196/annals.1428.001
Subject(s) - biology , veterinary medicine , eosinophil , parasite hosting , hematology , malaria , zoology , immunology , medicine , asthma , world wide web , computer science
Hematological and plasma biochemical values of wild grasscutters were evaluated to determine their potential to transmit zoonotic pathogens. Three 5‐mL blood samples were collected from each of 1000 grasscutters caught in the wild for hematology, biochemical, and parasitological tests. Hematological and biochemical values were compared with those from captive‐reared grasscutters. There are significantly ( P < 0.05) higher lymphocyte, eosinophil, and basophil values for wild grasscutters compared to those that are captive reared. Parasitological examination revealed a 15% prevalence of blood protozoa in the wild grasscutters. Blood pathogens encountered were Trypanosoma sp. (66.7%) and Plasmodium sp. (33.3%), with 20.7% mixed infection. Sex does not significantly ( P > 0.05) affect blood protozoa infection, while season does. We therefore concluded that wild grasscutters serve as efficient reservoir hosts for agents of African trypanosomiasis and malaria in the tropical humid rainforest region of Nigeria.