Study the levels of Calcium and Magnesium in the blood of sheep infested with tapeworms.

Abstract

This study was carried out to estimate Calcium (Ca) and Magnesium (Mg) levels in the blood of lactating ewes infested with tapeworms in comparison with those of healthy sheep. Worms were diagnosed by microscopic examination of stool samples to identify eggs and adult worms. Blood and stool samples of twenty two lactating Awassi ewes (aged between 18-24 months) were collected; 12 samples represented positive infestation with tapeworms by clinical investigation, fecal egg count (FEC) and packed cell volume (PCV reported as percent). The results for blood packed cell volume of an individual ewe of this group fell below 20%, while (FEC) were above 1000 eggs per gram (epg), and 10 samples represented the control group whose fecal sample shows very low epg, while PCV was higher than 20%, with no clinical signs of parasitic infection. Tapeworms infestation in sheep causes a significant decrease in serum Ca levels, while no significant changes were observed in Mg level.