Hematological Changes in Free-Range Chicken (Gallus domesticus)4 Naturally Infected with Toxoplasma Gondii

The aim of present study was to determine the seroprevalence and hematological changes in freerangechicken (Gallus domesticus) naturally infected with Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii). Blood samples ofchicken (n=71), were collected from Cholistan areas of Bahawalpur (Punjab), Pakistan. Serum samples weretested for toxoplasmosis with a commercial latex agglutination kit (Antec Diagnostic products, UK). The overallprevalence was 26.76%. The significant (P 0.05) higher seroprevalence was observed in males (34.28%) than infemales (19.44%). For analysis of hematological parameters blood samples were collected. The mean values forhemoglobin (Hb), Packed Cell Volume (PCV), Red Blood Cells Count (RBC), Mean Corpuscular Volume(MCV), Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin (MCH), Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin Concentration (MCHC),White Blood Cells count (WBC), Heterophils (%), Eosinophils (%), Basophils(%), Monocytes(%), andLymphocytes(%) values of negative chickens were 9.43±0.49 g/dl,, 25.81±1.34%, 1.84±0.13 x106/μL, 151.7±11.0fl, 3.85±0.22 pg, 39.34±2.07%, 3.98±0.13 x103/μL, 45.71±1.26%, 2.08±0.29%, 1.54±0.17%, 2.58±0.29% and48.10±1.36% and for positive chickens were 9.35±0.89 g/dl, 24.63±2.21%, 1.68±0.17 x106/μL, 168.9±17.5fl, 5.92±1.95 pg, 59.3±19.5%, 3.98±0.23 x103/μL, 45.74±2.76%, 3.05±0.45%, 1.58±0.23%, 0.95±0.19% and48.74±3.15, respectively. MCH, eosinophils and monocytes showed significant difference. Hb, PCV, RBC,MCV MCHC, heterophils, basophils and lymphocytes values showed non-significant difference. Furthermore,some of the hematological parameters are altered by T. gondii but not all. In literature a little information ispresent regarding the hematological changes due to T.gondii in chickens of Cholistan, Bahwalpur, Pakistan.Thisis pilot study one of a kind and need for further studies with larger populations and samples across the country.