Haemato-Biochemical Aspects of Foot and Mouth Disease in Cattle in Chittagong , Bangladesh

Abstract | During an outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) blood samples were collected from clinically dis-eased (n=10) and healthy (n=10) cattle and analysed for various hemato-biochemical parameters. Results indicated a significant increase in packed cell volume (PCV) (28.6 ± 0.98%, P= 0.036), lymphocytes (70.2 ± 6.20%, P= 0.0132), monocytes (8.2 ± 1.08%, P= 0.0132) and serum glucose (104.2 ± 15.59 mg/dL, P= 0.0053) whereas a significant de-crease in the concentration of hemoglobin (7.17 ± 0.07 gm/dL, P= 0.0004), basophils (0.3 ± 0.16%, P= 0.0241), eosino-phils (16.5 ± 1.83%, P= 0.0097), calcium (8 ± 0.41 mg/dL, P= 0.0125) and total protein (6.2 ± 0.19 mg/dL, P= 0.0058) was recorded in FMD infected cattle. Non-significant (>0.05) difference was noted between healthy and FMD P infected animals with respect to total erythrocyte count (TEC) (P= 0.6066), total leukocyte count (TLC) ( P= 0.3169), neutrophils ( P= 0.2358) and serum inorganic phosphorous ( P= 0.2507). It was concluded that FMD had major impact on hemato-biochemical profile of affected animals.

was more familiar in the agro-climatic zones than in hilly areas (Abubakar et al., 2012).Animals with a history of vesicular disease, FMDV detection in samples of epithelial tissue, vesicular fluid, milk, esophageal and pharyngeal (OP) sample, or blood is enough to launch a diagnosis.FMD virus had also been shown to persist in a non-reflective form in the lymph nodes ( Juleff et al., 2008).According to Rweyemamu et al. (2008a), movement or shipment of animals and people around the infected farms was restricted; however, these measures proved inadequate to prevent FMDV spread.
In Bangladesh, FMD is an endemic viral disease of cattle with financially viable losses.To control any infectious disease, identification of the risk factor is a major concern.This will help the planners to formulate an effective plan to control the disease.With a view of above description, the study was undertaken to identify the hematological and biochemical risk factors which are associated with the disease.
During an outbreak of FMD in the surrounding area of CVASU in July 2013, a total of ten clinically diseased animals from 1 to 2.5 years old were randomly selected for the collection of blood samples.Ten healthy animals of the same age were also selected as controls for analysis and comparison.Blood samples of clinically diseased and healthy animals were collected from the jugular vein in sterile vacutainers with (1mg/mL) and without EDTA for hematological and biochemical studies respectively.Non coagulated blood samples were analysed for determination of various hematological parameters as described previously ( Jain, 1986).Serum was separated from coagulated blood samples and analysed for determination of glucose, total protein, calcium and phosphorous.
Statistical analysis was performed by using SPSS (version 17.0) software.Significance of difference was determined by using chi square test.Value of P < 0.05 considered as statistically significant.
Plasma samples of both healthy and infected cattle were analyzed and following observation were recorded.Significantly (P <0.05) increased packed cell volume (28.6±0.98%);lymphocytes (70.2±6.20%) and monocytes (8.2±1.08%)whereas significantly (P<0.05)decreased hemoglobin concentration (7.17±0.07gm/dL);eosinophils (16.5±1.83%) and basophils (0.3±0.16%) were recorded in FMD infected animals.Non-significant (P >0.05) difference was recorded between FMD infected and healthy animals with respect to total erythrocyte count, total leukocyte count and neutrophils.The results are presented in Table 1.In disease condition, there is a fever, which might cause the destruction of RBC and causing anemia.The result of lower blood hemoglobin was supported by Krupa-karan et al. (2009).The PCV value of infected group was significantly (P=0.036)higher than the control group that agreed with Anim et al. (2013).In infected animals group, TLC was non-significantly higher (P=0.3169)than the control group which supported the earlier observation of Krupakaran et al. (2009).In case of viral diseases the body tried to compensate to contain the infection resulting increase number of leukocytes.In viral disease, there was always increased of lymphocytes, which substantiated in this case.In case group the monocytes value was significantly (P =0.0028) higher than the control group (Table 1) which was agreed with Alsaad et al. (2012).The Neutrophil value in case group was higher (P =0.2358) than the control group which was agreed with Alsaad et al. (2012).The neutrophils and other phagocytic cells considered as the potent cells of immune response against viral and microbial infections.Those cells generated large amounts of Reactive Oxidative Stress (ROS) and Reactive Nitrogen Species (RNS) that considered as the main cause of lipid peroxidation supported by Bozukluhan et al. (2013) because the viral infection activates the immune system.taken and recorded to follow biochemical values.There was a significant (P =0.0053) increase in serum glucose (104.2±15.59mg/dL) whereas decreased in total protein (6.2±0.19 mg/dL) and calcium (8±0.41 mg/dL) in FMD infected cattle.Non-significant (P =0.2507) difference was recorded between FMD infected and healthy cattle with respect to serum inorganic phosphorous.The results were presented in Table 2.It is well documented that an increase in glucose concentration was a common finding in cattle affected by the stress of a systemic disease (Turgut, 2000).Decrease protein may be caused by the utilization of glucose due to interfere it to enter into the cell.It results from hyperglycemia, and it was in the line with Yeotikar et al. (2003) and Gokce et al. (2004).Reduction in total protein concentrations (Ghanem and Abdel, 2010) had been reported to be associated with hepatic and renal damage, starvation, and enteropathies leading to protein loss, parasitic infestation and chronic organ diseases indicating abnormal hepatic function.Possible causes of the decreases in serum total protein concentrations observed in the study may be associated with lesions on the oral mucosa and inter digital regions.It is known that the protein requirement increases in the presence of any lesions on the body.It is also known that consumption of protein increases in animals with diabetes mellitus, as was detected in cattle with FMD.Therefore, diabetes mellitus may be another reason for the decrease in protein concentrations observed in this study.Stress due to febrile condition, systemic infections and general body illness increase cortisol, which is agreed with (Mostl et al., 2002) depress the calcium uptake from the gut due to inhibition of vitamin D. The low calcium concentration in this study may be associated with in-appetence and hypoproteinaemia.Therefore, in the study there was a significant decrease in serum protein levels and severe anorexia in cattle with FMD, which may be the possible explanation for the hypocalcaemia observed.Significant negative correlation between calcium and phosphorus.Hyperphosphatemia was similar to that reported by Yeotikar et al. (2003) and Ghanem and Abdel (2010).
Hyperphosphatemia is due to higher ATP utilization and breakdown by the virus present in the body of affected animals.Serum phosphorus is significantly increased in the FMD group, hypocalcaemia leads to reciprocal increase in the serum phosphorus concentration.
From the present study it is concluded that Foot and Mouth disease significantly affects the hematological and biochemical profile of infected animals.Keeping in view the findings of the present study, effective supportive therapy of FMD may be suggested for better and quick prognosis.

Table 1 :
Hematological parameters of healthy and FMD infected cattle Values at P<0.05 are statistically significant; Hb=Hemoglobin, PCV=Packed cell volume, ESR=Erythrocyte sedimentation rate, TEC=Total erythrocyte count, TLC=Total leukocyte count

Table 2 :
Biochemical parameters of healthy and FMD infected cattle Values at P<0.05 are statistically significant; Ca=Calcium; P=Phosphorous Serum samples from healthy and infected cattle were