Hematologic parameters in horses naturally infected with strongyles

Abstract

In order to verify the possible hematologic alterations related to intestinal parasitism in horses, 84 mixed breed animals (42 males, 42 females) were selected, with age varying from 2 to 15 years, used in the daily routine work of urban traction, with history of weight loss and less resistance to physical effort, and with a diagnoses of intense natural infection with strongyles. The fecal egg count per grams of feces (EPG) showed a variation from 350 to 6.500 EPG (Md 1.425 EPG) characterizing a considerable degree of infection with adult strongyles. The hematologic parameters were erithrocytes 6.43 ± 0,90 x 106/µL; hemoglobin 10,62 ± 1,63 g/dL; PCV 30,98 ± 4,08 %; MCV 48,38 ± 3,14 fL; MCHC 34,51 ± 4,00 %; leucocytes 12.495 ± 2.776,26 /µL; band neutrophils 28,98 ± 114,43/µL; mature neutrophils 7.970,77 ± 2.534,33/µL; lymphocytes 3.921 ± 1.585,29/µL; monocytes 128,60 ± 187,10/µL and eosinophils 434,33 ± 398,07/µL. These values showed a leucocytosis with neutrophilia, as well as a tendency of erythrocytic values in staying close to the normal inferior limits of the reference range for the specie. No alterations regarding eosinophylic values were observed, thus partly contradicting the concept that eosinophilia should occur with intestinal parasitism in horses.