Haematological, pathological and plasma biochemical changes in rabbits experimentally infected with Trypanosoma congolense.

Chinchilla x New Zealand white cross breed rabbits (N=24) were challenged with strain of T. congolense. The infections were characterized by intermittent pyrexia, undulating parasitaemia, anorexia and emaciation. The major haematological changes observed were anaemia that was macrocytic normochromic at the first week of the infection and later became normochromic normocytic till the end of the experiment and leucopaenia that is characterized by neutropaenia, eosinopaenia and lymphocytosis. Plasma biochemical changes include hypoglycaemia, elevated total protein and plasma cholesterol. There were significant (p<0.05) elevation of Alkaline phospatase (ALP), Aspertate aminotransferase (AST), total bilirubin and fluctuating changes in the levels of plasma Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and urea. Gross pathological changes include congested and oedematous lungs, mucoid enteritis, hepatomegaly and splenomegaly. Histopathological changes include mild congestion of the splenic pulp, mild venous congestion of the liver, pulmonary congestion, acute bronchopneumonia, severe emphysema of the lung, and focal centrilobular necrosis and periportal mononuclear cell aggregation in the kidney. This study shed light on the dynamics of haematological alteration and distortion of architectural frame work of various tissues of rabbits experimentally infected with T. congolense and suggested that rabbit is susceptible to T. congolense and could act as reservoir for trypanosomosis of ruminants and domesticated dogs used for hunting. Keywords: Trypanosoma congolense, haematology, serum enzymes and pathology.