Pathophysiological mechanisms, clinical outcomes and hematobiochemical alterations in sheep infected with mono-infections and co-infections of Dicrocoelium lanceatum in Azerbaijan
Paper Details
Pathophysiological mechanisms, clinical outcomes and hematobiochemical alterations in sheep infected with mono-infections and co-infections of Dicrocoelium lanceatum in Azerbaijan
Abstract
Dicroceliosis is an important parasitic disease of small ruminants that can cause significant physiological disturbances and economic losses. The present study investigated the pathophysiological mechanisms, clinical outcomes, and hematobiochemical alterations in sheep naturally infected with Dicrocoelium lanceatum, including cases with concurrent babesiosis. A total of 120 sheep were examined, of which 39 animals were infected with D. lanceatum. Hematological analysis in mono-infected sheep revealed slight reductions in hemoglobin (53.69 ± 5.75 g/dl) compared with healthy animals (56.81 ± 11.34 g/dl), as well as decreases in packed cell volume (34.62 ± 5.01% vs 38.52 ± 7.75%) and mean corpuscular volume (65.51 ± 8.11 vs 69.71 ± 11.92 fL). White blood cell counts showed only minor variation (12.31 ± 1.94 ×10³/µl in infected sheep vs 12.15 ± 1.88 ×10³/µl in healthy animals). In contrast, sheep with concurrent infection of D. lanceatum and Babesia ovis exhibited more pronounced hematological and biochemical disturbances. In co-infected animals, white blood cell counts increased markedly (16.8–28.2 ×10³/µl) compared with healthy sheep (8.4–14.6 ×10³/µl), while hemoglobin levels decreased to 3.8–5.6 g/dl. Biochemical analysis revealed elevated liver enzyme activities, including AST (116–309 U/L) and ALP (136–454 U/L), along with increased total bilirubin levels (0.1–1.1 mg/dl) and decreased albumin concentrations (1.9–2.5 g/dl). These findings indicate that while mono-infection with D. lanceatum induces moderate hematological alterations, concurrent infection with babesiosis leads to severe systemic disturbances characterized by anemia, leukocytosis, and hepatic dysfunction. Early diagnosis and integrated parasite control strategies are therefore essential to reduce disease severity and associated economic losses in sheep production.
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Aygun A. Azizova*, Mahir N. Nasibov, 2026. Pathophysiological mechanisms, clinical outcomes and hematobiochemical alterations in sheep infected with mono-infections and co-infections of Dicrocoelium lanceatum in Azerbaijan. Int. J. Biosci., 28(3), 13-21.
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