Anaplasmosis is a tick-borne disease of large and small ruminants, causing losses through mortality, abortion, weight loss and reduced milk production. In one dairy farm, for example, 250 of a total of 800 imported goats were diagnosed with a mysterious type of anemia during the summer and autumn of 1992. The etiologic agent was identified as Anaplasma spp by acridine orange and ultrasttucture by electron microscopy. In order to monitor variations in blood biochemical and hematological parameters associated with the disease, blood samples were collected by jugular venipuncture from 50 goats at 3 month intervals between the period of February and October, 1993.
The levels of RBCs, HB and HCT decreased from 18.48±1.96 to 13.47±2.48 X10^6/㎣, 12.25±1.41 to 9.54±1.77 g/㎗, and 43.09±4.75 to 30.93±5.78%, respectively. The values of MCH(Mean corpuscular hemoglobin), MCHC(Mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration) and PLT(Platelet) were elevated from 6.58±0.30 to 7.05±0.47 pg, 28.40±1.20 to 30.82±1.85 g/㎗ and 1688.34±750 to 2046.82±783 X10^3/㎣, respectively. Percent parasitized erythrocytes(PPE) increased from 0.61±0.5 to 2.22±1.9%, clinical biochemical parameters aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase were 66.64±23.1 K.U and 14.90±6.59 K.U, respectively and persisted at high levels throughout the observation period. The level of albumin(2.46)0.52 g/㎗) was decreased corresponding to an elevated globulin and a reduced albumin/globulin ratio in October as compared with the values in February. It is concluded that caprine anaplasmosis may be an important cause of anemia and hepatic malfunction in goats.
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