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The haematological values of European badgers (Meles meles) in health and in the course of tuberculosis infection

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 May 2009

K. H. Mahmood ,
J. L. Stanford ,
S. Machin ,
M. Watts ,
F. A. Stuart  and
D. G. Pritchard
K. H. Mahmood
Affiliation:
Department of Microbiology, School of Pathology, Middlesex Hospital Medical School, Riding House Street, London W1P 7PN
J. L. Stanford
Affiliation:
Department of Microbiology, School of Pathology, Middlesex Hospital Medical School, Riding House Street, London W1P 7PN
S. Machin
Affiliation:
Department of Haematology, School of Pathology, Middlesex Hospital Medical School, Riding House Street, London W1P 7PN
M. Watts
Affiliation:
Department of Haematology, School of Pathology, Middlesex Hospital Medical School, Riding House Street, London W1P 7PN
F. A. Stuart
Affiliation:
Central Veterinary Laboratory, New Haw, Weybridge, Surrey
D. G. Pritchard
Affiliation:
Central Veterinary Laboratory, New Haw, Weybridge, Surrey
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Summary

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Captive, healthy, adult badgers have blood containing haemoglobin at 13·3 g/dl, and 8·4×1012/l red cells with an MCV of 46·2 f1 and an MCH of 15·6 pg. They have 5·1×109 white cells/1 of which 3·29×109 are polymorphs, 1·49×109 are lymphocytes, 0·26×109 are monocytes, 0·07×109 are eosinophils and 0·01×109 are basophils. These values are somewhat less in adult animals just trapped from the wild, and are lower still in wild cubs.

Changes associated with tuberculosis are a rise, and then a fall in red blood count and white blood count, an increase in the proportion of polymorphs and momocytes and a fall in lymphocytes late in the disease. This picture is similar to that seen in widespread, disseminated, tuberculin negative, tuberculosis in humans, a type of disease similar to that occurring in many badgers.

BCG vaccination of badgers did not produce any measurable change in the blood picture.

Type
Research Article
Information
Epidemiology & Infection , Volume 101 , Issue 2 , October 1988 , pp. 231 - 237
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1988

References

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