الفهرس 
INTRODUCTION
Gastrointestinal parasites of donkeysOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
A total number of 43 male and female donkeys constituted the material of this investigation. Their ages were varied from one to five years old. Donkeys were examined at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Assiut University.
Animals were inspected for presence of any abnormal clinical signs and then blood, fecal and synovial fluid samples were collected. The general body conditions of the investigated animals were varied from good to emaciated, animals with apparent lesions in skin were excluded from the study.
Two types of blood samples (whole blood and serum samples) were collected from all examined animals. Whole blood samples were used for total leucocytic count. Serum samples were used for the determination of blood serum total proteins, albumin, globulins, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, glucose levels, and gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activities.
Fecal samples were collected from the rectum in clean and dry plastic cups and analyzed directly after collection.
The synovial fluid samples were collected from the carpal joint using sterile syringe under aseptic conditions, and then were divided into two parts; one part was stored at 4 ºC for 2 days to test clot formation and the other part was collected in tube containing heparin and mixed properly to prevent coagulation and used for physical, microscopical and biochemical analysis
Donkey’s subjected to study (n=43) were classified according to intestinal parasitic infestation into three major groups: Strongylus spp. (n.=23), mixed infestation (n.=17, Strongylus spp. and Parascaris equorum) and control (n.=3) groups.
Strongylus spp. group was re-classified according to the fecal egg count into; mild (0-500 epg), moderate (500-1000 epg) and severe (>1000 epg) infestation groups.
The mixed infestation group was re-classified according to the fecal egg count (mild (0-500 epg), moderate (500-1000 epg) and severe (>1000 epg) infestation groups into:
Mixed mild (mild Strongylus spp. and mild Parascaris equorum).
Mixed moderate (moderate Strongylus spp. and moderate Parascaris equorum).
Moderate mild (moderate Strongylus spp. and mild Parascaris equorum).
Severe mild (severe Strongylus spp. and mild Parascaris equorum).
Severe moderate (severe Strongylus spp. and moderate Parascaris equorum).
Synovial fluids from donkeys infested with intestinal parasites were colorless, transparent, and viscous. No coagulation was detected in synovial fluid stored at 4°C for 2 days. Results for the mucin test were the same in different groups and appear as a tight ropy clump in a clear solution.
No significant changes were observed in total WBCs count and in WBCs/HPF in all donkeys infested with parasites in comparison to control. Total blood WBCs count showed no significant changes in all groups of donkeys infested with parasites compared to the control group.
There were significant decreases (P<0.01) in serum total proteins and globulins in case of severe strongylus infestation only. Serum magnesium level showed significant decreases in case of mild (P<0.05), moderate (P<0.01) and severe (P<0.01) strongylus infestation. Significant hypoglycemia (P<0.01) was evident in group that severely infested with strongylus. No significant changes were detected in serum enzymes in different infested groups compared to the control.
Synovial calcium level showed a significant increase (P<0.05) in case of moderate and severe infestation with strongylus. However, synovial phosphorus level was significantly increased (P<0.05) only in case of severe infestation with strongylus. Synovial glucose level was significantly decreased (P<0.01) in case of moderate and severe strongylus infestation. Synovial GGT activity was significantly decreased (P<0.01) in case of mild, moderate and severe strongylus infestation. Furthermore, a significant increase in synovial ALP activity was observed in case of mild (P<0.05), moderate (P<0.01) and severe (P<0.01) infestation with strongylus.
Serum total proteins and albumin levels were significantly decreased in case of moderate mild (P<0.05), severe mild (P<0.01) and severe moderate (P<0.01) infested groups. Furthermore, serum globulins were significantly decreased in case of severe mild (P<0.01) and severe moderate (P<0.01) infested groups. Serum magnesium level was significantly decreased in case of mixed mild (P<0.05) and moderate mild (P<0.01) infested groups. Serum glucose level showed a significant decrease in case of mixed moderate (P<0.01), moderate mild (P<0.05) and severe moderate (P<0.01) infested groups. Serum GGT activity showed significant decreases in case of mixed moderate (P<0.01), moderate mild (P<0.01) and severe mild (P<0.05) infested groups.
There was a significant decrease in synovial total protein level in case of mixed mild (P<0.05) and severe mild (P< 0.01) infested groups. Synovial glucose level was significantly decrease in case of mixed moderate (P<0.01) and severe moderate (P<0.05) infested groups. Synovial GGT activity was significantly decreased (P<0.01) in all mixed infested groups. On the other hand, synovial ALP activity showed a significant increase (P<0.01) in all mixed infested groups.
There were significant positive correlations (P<0.01) between serum and synovial ALP activities (r=0.700)) and a significant negative correlation between synovial albumin and serum glucose levels (r=-0.573).
There were significant positive correlations between synovial GGT activity and serum phosphorus level (P<0.01), r=0.628). between synovial ALP activity and serum magnesium level (P<0.01), r=0.771), between synovial calcium and serum GGT activity (P<0.01), r=0.553), and between synovial globulins and serum GGT activity (P<0.01), r=0.483). However, significant negative correlations were observed between synovial calcium and serum phosphorus levels (P<0.01), r=-0.511), and between synovial total protein and serum glucose level (P<0.01), r=-0.567).