Demographic study on etiology and haemato-biochemical alterations in anaemic goats in Puducherry

Introduction

Goat rearing bestows an important farming enterprise in India, capable of generating income, employment, and animal protein. According to the 20 th livestock census, Puducherry, a state in India is home to 73,630 goats (Livestock census, 2019) [4] and 63.3% of people were goat farmers (Mallikarjuna et al., 2021) [6] . One of the major life-threatening conditions in goats encountered by most small and marginal-scale farmers is anaemia. Anaemia is defined as a clinical condition, which causes an absolute decrease in the red cell mass as measured by RBC count, hemoglobin concentration, and PCV. It can develop from loss, destruction, or lack of production of RBC (Rao et al., 2022) [9] . Consequently, it arises in many of the infectious and non-infectious diseases in goats. The condition is characterized by pale or white mucous membranes, exercise intolerance, tachypnea, tachycardia, possible systolic murmurs, weakness, loss of body weight, and collapse. Hypoproteinemia, ascites, and weight loss are other signs noticed along with anaemia. Endoparasitism, ectoparasitism, haemoparasitism, and nutritional deficiencies are claimed to be the potential etiologies of anaemia. A common endoparasite associated with anaemia in goats is Haemonchus contortus (the barber's pole worm) which sucks about 50µL of blood per day and can cause severe blood loss (Wagener et al., 2022) [12] . Besides, external parasites like ticks, lice, and fleas also favor anaemia. Minerals such as cobalt, copper, and iron are critical to hemoglobin and red blood cells, a lack of which would result in anaemic condition. Other possible causes of anaemia in goats include toxicities like fluorosis, and bracken fern ingestion, and infections like paratuberculosis, and anaplasmosis (Choudhary et al., 2023) [3] . Therefore, the present study was conducted to observe the incidence and various etiological factors in causing

Materials and methods

The present study was conducted in the Veterinary Clinical Complex (Department of Veterinary Medicine unit), RIVER, Puducherry. A total of 49 goats were presented, of which 43 goats screened for anaemia based on anamnesis, clinical signs, haemato-biochemical studies, and faecal examination. Clinical examination of the animals was undertaken as per standard methods. Six apparently healthy goats were selected as controls. Detailed haematological, biochemical, and parasitological studies were conducted in all the anaemic cases and controls. Blood samples (5 ml) were collected from jugular and ear veins using a vacutainer containing EDTA and clot activator. Haematological parameters such as hemoglobin (Hb), Packed Cell Volume (PCV), Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV), Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin (MCH), Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin Concentration (MCHV), Total leucocyte count, and Differential leukocyte count were evaluated. Serum samples were taken for biochemical analysis to evaluate total protein, albumin, and globulin. Fecal samples were taken for the detection of oocysts and endoparasites. Those goats with PCV less than 22 percent and Hb levels lower than 8 g/dl were considered anaemic (Weiss and Wardrop, 2011) [13] . The data generated in the present study was analysed using statistical analysis (Unpaired t test-SPSS version 20)

Results

Overall, 49 goats were presented to the clinics, out of which 43 goats were suspected for anaemia based on clinical signs like a pale mucous membrane, rough hair coat, lethargy, and distended abdomen. A total of 36 goats (83.72%) were supposedly anaemic, of which females (66.67%) were more frequently affected than males. Goats between 6 months and 1 year of age showed the highest incidence (33.33%), followed by goats over 2 years of age (30.56%). Haematological analysis of blood samples was performed, and the mean ( ± SE) values of the parameters are shown in [11,2] . The unpaired t-test revealed no significant gender-based differences in anaemia prevalence. However, a closer examination of the data showed that females exhibited a higher anaemia prevalence rate (66.6%) compared to males (33.33%). The present study's finding of a higher anaemia incidence in female goats is in accordance with earlier reports (Bhatane et al., 2018; Rajendra et al., 2021) [2,8] . Furthermore, the highest incidence of anaemia was recorded in 6 months to 1 year of age (33%), followed by more than 2 years (31%), less than 6 months (22%), and lowest in 1-2 years (14%) of age grouped animals (Fig. 1). Several literatures recorded the highest incidence of anaemia in the age group 6 months to 1 year (Singh et al., 2017; Nayak et al., 2021) [10,7] .

Haematobiochemical analysis

The observations obtained the present study are comparable with the results of Rao et al. (2022) [9] , who observed significantly (p < 0.05) lower TEC, Hb, PCV, MCV, MCH, and MCHC levels, with a significant increase in TLC and neutrophil count in anaemic goats compared to healthy goats. There was no significant difference in differential leucocyte count and neutrophil count. Serum biochemical estimations indicated no significant reduction in total protein, albumin and globulin values.

Fecal sample analysis

Parasitism was one of the pivotal etiologies in causing anaemia in goats. In the present study, mixed infection was found to be higher (22.22%), followed by infection of Strongyles spp. (8.33%) and Amphistome spp. (2.78%). Within mixed infections, 2.78% of goats (2 case) were found positive for Strongyles spp. along with Trichuris spp, Strongyloid spp, Moneizia spp. and Eimeria spp whereas, in 3 case (3.33%) mixed infections of Strongyles spp along with Tricuris spp. infection was found. In 2 cases (5.56%) Strongyles spp. and Eimeria spp. mixed infection and 1 case (2.78%) with Amphistome spp. and Trichuris spp. was detected. No hemoparasites were detected on blood smear examination. This was in accordance with the findings of Anumol et al. (2011) [1] ; Rajendra et al. (2021) [8] ; Jayalakshmi et al. (2021) [5] and Rao et al. (2022) [9] . Also, no external parasites were observed in the present study. The exact cause could not be ascertained in 24 out of the 36 (66.67%) anaemic animals. Anaemia in these cases could be due to nutritional deficiencies, metabolic disorders, bone marrow disorders or other such conditions. Since parasitism is one of the leading causes of anaemia in goats, implementing appropriate treatment and control measures is crucial to reduce the impact of anaemia and improve the health and well-being of affected goats.

Conclusion

The incidence of anaemia recorded in this study was higher than those reported from other parts of the country. The difference in prevalence by noted in other studies might be due to different geographical locations, vector populations, climatic variation, and genetic variation of the animals (Jayalakshmi et al., 2021) [5] . The major etiology identified in the present study was endoparasites (33.33% cases). The warm and humid climate of Puducherry is conducive to the development and survival of the pre-parasitic stages, which lead to increased incidence of anaemia. Veterinary intervention is crucial for diagnosing the specific causes of anaemia in individual animals. Moreover, educating goat farmers about the signs of anaemia, risk factors and preventive measures including regular deworming plays a significant role in reducing the incidence of this condition.

Acknowledgement

AcknowledgmentThe authors would like to thank the Department of Veterinary Medicine unit and the Dean of the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Veterinary Education and Research, Puducherry for providing the necessary facilities.

References

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