Study of Some Haematological Parameters of Japanese Quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) Experimentally Infected with Salmonella enterica Serovar Gallinarum

Abstract

Aim: To determine some haematological changes in Japanese quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica) experimentally infected with Salmonella enterica serovar Gallinarum Methodology: A total of 160 (108 males and 52 females) Japanese quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica) were used in this study. The quails were obtained at the age of four weeks from the Poultry Division of the National Veterinary Research Institute, Vom, Plateau State, Nigeria. They were randomly selected and assigned into four groups (A, B, C and D) of forty quails each. Groups A, B and C were infected with Salmonella enterica serovar Gallinarum per os at the dose of 106, 104 and 102, respectively, while group D served as the control. Blood with anticoagulant (ethylenediamine tetra-acetic acid) was used for the determination of haematological parameters. Results: There were no significant differences in haematological parameters (P > 0.05) between the groups before infection. There were, however, significant changes (P<0.05) in haematological parameters such as red blood cells (RBC), haemoglobin (Hb) concencentrations, packed cell volume (PCV), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH), mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC), heterophil and lymphocyte counts between the infected groups when compared with the control group. There were also significant changes (P<0.05) in these haematological parameters post-infection compared to before infection within each infected group. Conclusion: This study has shown that Salmonella gallinarum causes decrease in some haematological parameters, such as packed cell volume (10%) and red blood cell count (10%) and haemoglobin concentration (5%) and increase in heamatological indices, such as mean corpuscular volume (5%), mean corpuscular haemoglobin (30%), and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (30%) above control group values in Japanese quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica). These findings could be useful in the diagnosis of subclinical cases of fowl typhoid in the Japanese quails.