Serum Urea and Creatinine Levels in Nigerian Local
Horses Naturally Infected
with Babesia
U. M. Garba*, A. K. B. Sackeya, R. I. S. Agbedeb, L. B. Tekdeka
and M. Bisallac
Veterinary Clinic, Equitation Wing, Nigerian Defence Academy,
Kaduna, Nigeria; aDepartment of Veterinary Surgery and
Medicine; bDepartment of Veterinary Parasitology and
Entomology; cDepartment of Veterinary Pathology and
Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ahmadu Bello
University Zaria, Nigeria
*Corresponding author: garbaum@yahoo.com
Abstract
To study the effects of Babesia
infection on urea and creatinine, serum samples were randomly collected from 253
Nigerian local (Arewa) breed of royal stallions and their Arabian and Sudanese
crosses from five towns in
Niger
state,
Nigeria.
These horses were categorized into 5 groups based on their infection status.
Urea and creatinine were assayed using spectrophotometer. Collected fecal
samples were analyzed using simple floatation method. The result showed non
significant difference in serum levels of urea and creatinine in the various
categories of horses namely Babesia
infected horses, mixed Babesia+gastro-intestinal
parasites infected horses, gastrointestinal parasites infected horses, negative
apparently healthy and negative apparently sick horses. It can be concluded that
natural Babesia infection in Nigerian
local horses does not alter serum urea and creatinine levels.