PERFIL BIOQUÍMICO DE BOVINOS NATURALMENTE INFECTADOS POR Trypanosssoma vivax

BIOCHEMICAL PROFILES IN CATTLE NATURALLY INFECTED WITH TRYPANOSOMA VIVAX Animal trypanosomiasis represents serious health problems in most tropical countries, and the use of drugs is usually necessary to control the disease. The city of Uberaba, in Minas Gerais, is an important center of cattle breeding in Brazil. It has the finest zebu herds, and it is where the Brazilian Association of Zebu Breeders (ABCZ) is located. Due to lack of information on T. vivax parasites in Minas Gerais, this study evaluates biochemical profiles of infected animals. Blood samples from 45 animals were collected, of which 17 presented T. vivax infection. A semiautomatic spectrophotometer exam determined levels of aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), creatinine kinase (CK), urea, creatinine, calcium, and phosphorus. No significant differences were observed between infected and non-infected groups.