Distruption of estrus in the acute phase of Fascila gigantica infections in Yankasa ewes .

Abstract

The effect of the hepatic migratory phase of Fasciola gigantica infetions on estrus response to synchronization, conception rates, serum enzymes and bichemical changes in yankasa ewes was investigated. Twelve adult yankasa ewes were randomly assigned to one of two groups of 6 animals each. The ewes in Group1 were each infected with 1,200 metacercariae of F. gigantica each while Grop2 served as non infected controls for the study. The ewes in both groups were the synchronized for estrus at 7weeks post infection (WPI) , and intact rams were introduced for heat dtection and breeding.Pregnancy was confirmed by progesterone levels and non-return to estrus 21days post breeding.Estrus response was 66.6 and 100% in infected and controls, respectively, but all infected animals returned to estrus by 42 days post-breeding, indicating conception failure or an early embryonic death. Pathophysiological signs included anorexia, progressive anemia, emaciation and significant aspartate amino transferase, alanine amino transferase and alkaline phosphatase levels in infected ewes and at postmortem hepatic fibrosis of the liver with intr-hepatic hemorrhage was observed. it is concluded that fasciolosis has an adverse effet on conception and establishment of the fetus in the acute migratory phase.