Temperature and Weight Changes in Yankassa Sheep Experimentally Infected Trypanosoma Congolense

Abstract

Temperature and weight changes in experimental Trypanosoma infected Yankassa sheep were studied over a period of 7 weeks. Ten clinically healthy Yankassa Sheep were divided into 2 groups of five control and five infected animals. Animals in the latter group were infected with Trypanosoma congolense and their rectal temperatures and body weights were recorded daily for 7 weeks post infection. The mean values of the rectal temperature and body weights of the control and infected groups were plotted on graphs to clearly illustrate the difference of 16.5 kg at the start of the experiment to 15.8 kg body weight at 7 weeks and temperature fluctuations of 39.73 to 37.35°C from the onset of parasitaemia to the end of the period. There was a statistically significant difference (p< 0.05) in the rectal temperature and body weights between the infected and control animals throughout the experimental period. Seven weeks post infection, the animals showed appreciable emaciation and an undulating wave of temperatures from the normal.