The pathological physiology of helminth infestations. 1. Ostertagia circumcincta

Abstract

An experiment is described in which two sheep were artificially infested with 0. circumcincta and a third kept as an uninfested control. Plastic abomasal fistulae were inserted in these sheep and their erythrocytes were labelled with ⁵¹Cr. Radioactivity counts on blood and abomasal contents were done at regular intervals as well as other reactions being noted. The main findings were:- (i) No abnormal decrement in blood counts or increase in abomasal counts. (ii) An increase in abomasal pH and decrease in pepsin concentration. (iii) Anorexia and weight loss.