Pathological investigation on haemonchosis in Chegu goats of Himachal Pradesh Kumar Rakesh3, Bhardwaj Kanika3, Masand Rupali3, Moudgil A.D.2,3, Kumar Surender1,3, Pati R.D.1,3, Asrani R.K.3,* 3Department of Veterinary Pathology, DGCN, COVAS, CSKHPKV, Palampur-176062, Himachal Pradesh, India 1Department of Teaching Veterinary Clinical Complex, DGCN, COVAS, CSKHPKV, Palampur-176062, Himachal Pradesh, India 2Department of Veterinary Parasitology, DGCN, COVAS, CSKHPKV, Palampur-176062, Himachal Pradesh, India *Corresponding author: e-mail: asranirk@gmail.com
Abstract Haemonchosis is a serious health problem of small ruminants associated with huge economic losses to the farmers in terms of low productivity and mortality. The aim of the present study was to ascertain the cause of death in three Chegu goats presented to the clinics with the history of weight loss, respiratory signs, diarrhoea and anaemia. The evaluation of haematological parameters including Hb, PCV and RBCs did not show any alteration and might be linked to the compensatory polycythemia in goats as a result of fluid loss. The reduction in the values of MCV and MCH significantly correlates with the depletion of iron stores in the body leading to microcytic anaemia in goats. Necropsy examination of these goats revealed the presence of hydrothorax, hydroperitoneum, gelatinization of body fat, nutmeg liver, and congested and ulcerated abomasal mucosa. The round worms recovered from the abomasum and cecum were later on characterized as Haemonchus contortus and Trichuris spp. respectively. Microscopically, denuded abomasal mucosa infiltrated with mononuclear cells, goblet cell hyperplasia in bronchiolar epithelium along with peri-bronchiolar infiltration of mononuclear cells, lymphocytic deletion in lymphoid organs, and chronic venous congestion in the liver were evident. The present report puts into record a case of severe haemonchosis where clinical, gross, histopathological and parasitological findings all together suggests the vigorous blood feeding by Haemonchus contortus parasite leading to hypoproteinaemia, hypovolemic shock and death in Chegu goats. Top Keywords Haemonchus contortus, Chegu goat, Abomasum, Hypoproteinaemia, Anaemia. Top |