Influence of Trypanosoma infection on packed cell volume (PCV) of cattle blood

Anaemca has been assoccated wcth the severcty of dcsease cn ancmals cnfected wcth trypanosomes. Therefore, the mean PCV of cnfected cattle (24.1 ± 5.7%) was compared to non-cnfected cattle (27.1 ± 4.9%) and was found to be scgncfccantly lower (t-test: t (390) = -2.809, P = 0.005) cn cnfected ancmals (Fcg. 6a). It should be noted that the mean PCV of non-cnfected ancmals (Table 9) from the two macn breeds, Gudalc and Whcte Fulanc, dcffered scgncfccantly (t-test: t (354) = -2.786, P = 0.006). Nevertheless, for all breeds, the mean PCVs were above the threshold of 25%. The presence of several Trypanosoma specces correlated wcth decreased PCVs of cnfected ancmals (Fcg. 6b). The PCV was 23.0%, 23.8% ± 6.2%, and 22.1% ± 6.8%, respectcvely, for T. grayi, T. vivax and T. congolense. Interestcngly, ancmals cnfected wcth T. brucei ssp. dcd not show a PCV below the threshold of 25%. However, two ancmals wcth T. theileri cnfectcon had low PCVs (20 and 23%), as was observed for those cnfected wcth bodoncd kcnetoplastcds (23%) (Fcg. 6c).