SARCOCYSTOSIS IN GOATS - CLINICAL SIGNS AND PATHOLOGIC AND HEMATOLOGIC FINDINGS

  • 1 January 1981
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 178  (7) , 683-699
Abstract
Clinical sarcocytosis was studied in 37 goats after inoculation with graded doses of sporocysts of Sarcocystis capracanis. Eight uninoculated goats served as controls. Clinical response varied with the dose. Goats inoculated with 10-40 million sporocysts died 11-13 days after inoculation (DAI), from interstitial pneumonia, vasculitis and necrosis of mesenteric lymph nodes. All goats inoculated with 100,000 or 1 million sporocysts died between 19-23 DAI; clinical signs were anorexia, fever (40-41.degree. C), anemia and weight loss. Four of 4 goats inoculated with 50,000 sporocysts and 1 of 4 inoculated with 10,000 sporocysts died 24, 28, 39, 68 and 61 DAI, respectively. Goats inoculated with 1000 sporocysts and uninoculated goats remained clinically normal. After day 18 and before day 68, packed cell volume and Hb content decreased to as low as 11% and 3.6 g/dl, respectively. Alanine aminotransferase and lactic dehydrogenase activities were inconsistently increased. Blood urea nitrogen and bilirubin values were increased, reaching as high as 63 and 10 mg/dl, respectively. Histologically, thymic atrophy, vasculitis, hepatitis, cholangitis, myocarditis, generalized myositis and encephalomyelitis were the main microscopic findings. The cause of the anemia in goats that died after day 19 was not determined.