Prevalence of haemoparasites and influence on haemato-biochemical parameters of polo horses in Ibadan, Nigeria

Parasitic diseases, which can reside inside or outside the host, have a devastating impact on human and animal health worldwide, particularly in developing countries. Little is known about the current haemoparasitic status of polo horses in Ibadan, Nigeria. This study aims to find out the scope and extent of haemoparasites and their associated haematological and serum biochemical changes in polo horses in Ibadan, Nigeria. Blood samples were randomly collected from 52 horses from Ibadan polo stable. Haemoparasites identification, haematology and serum biochemistry parameters were evaluated according to standard procedures. The overall prevalence of haemoparasitic infection in the sampled horses was 13.5%. The haemoparasites found were Theileria equi (85.7%) and Anaplasma phagocytophilum (14.3%). The haematology result showed that infected horses presented a significant decrease (P<0.05) in PCV, WBC counts and significant elevation (P<0.05) of eosinophils. The serum biochemical values revealed that infected horses had significantly higher (P<0.05) levels of AST and creatinine kinase whereas the glucose level was significantly lower (P<0.05) when compared with the uninfected horses. To reduce the threat of haemoparasitic infection, it is recommended that vector control, as well as prophylactic therapy, be carried out in stables.