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Khalphallah A, Al-Daek T, Abdelhamid M, Elmeligy E, El-Hawari SF, Khesruf KA, Nasr HA, Mohamed RH. Camel filariasis (Dipetalonema evansi) and its association with clinical balanoposthitis with reference to prominent changes in clinical findings, serum testosterone, semen analysis, and testicular histopathology. BMC Vet Res 2024; 20:1. [PMID: 38172872 PMCID: PMC10763322 DOI: 10.1186/s12917-023-03844-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Camel filariasis induced variable clinical syndromes characterized by fever, lethargy, localized dermal lesions, loss of condition, and testicular and scrotal swelling. The objective of the present work focused on clarifying the diagnostic importance of clinical findings, serum testosterone, and semen analysis as well as blood smear and testicular histopathology as a differential tool between only balanoposthitis without filariasis male camels group (OnlyBpgr) and balanoposthitis-filariasis infected male camels group (BpFlgr). The study also monitored the associations between the severity of ticks' infestations in investigated male camels and the occurrence of balanoposthitis only or balanoposthitis with filariasis. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS The study reported significant correlation between serum testosterone, serum cortisol, and sperm vitality and abnormalities percentages. The study included male camels (n = 250) classified into three groups: healthy control group (Contgr; n = 30), OnlyBpgr (n = 210), and BpFlgr (n = 10). These male camels were clinically and laboratory examined, and skin scraping tests and testicular histopathology were conducted. The study confirmed the association of the changes in clinical findings, whole blood picture, serum testosterone, serum cortisol, and semen analysis, with OnlyBpgr and BpFlgr. These changes were more prominent in BpFlgr than in OnlyBpgr. Skin scraping test results revealed a higher severity of live ticks' infestation in BpFlgr than in OnlyBpgr because, unlike OnlyBpgr, all camels in BpFlgr (n = 10) were suffering from live ticks' infestation. It also concluded the higher efficacy of histopathology of testicular tissues in male camels as a diagnostic tool for adult filaria in balanoposthitis-affected male camels than blood smear because all cases of camel filariasis in the current work were negative for microfilaria on microscopic examination of diurnal blood smear as well as testicular histopathology revealed detection of adult filaria in all camel filariasis associated with balanoposthitis. Strong correlation relationships were demonstrated between serum testosterone, serum cortisol, and semen analysis results. Positive correlations were reported between serum testosterone levels and sperm vitality percentages. However, negative correlations were stated between serum testosterone and each of serum cortisol and sperm abnormalities either in Contgr, OnlyBpgr, or BpFlgr.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arafat Khalphallah
- Division of Internal Medicine, Department of Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, 71526, Egypt.
| | - Taher Al-Daek
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Omar Al-Mukhtar University, Al-bayda, 919, Libya
| | - Mahmoud Abdelhamid
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Aswan University, Aswan, 81528, Egypt
| | - Enas Elmeligy
- Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, 71526, Egypt
| | - Sayed Fathi El-Hawari
- Department of clinical studies, Collage of Veterinary Medicine, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia
| | - Khaled A Khesruf
- Department of Animal Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Aleppo University, Aleppo, Syria
| | - Heba A Nasr
- Division of Clinical Laboratory Diagnosis, Department of Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, 71526, Egypt
| | - Ragab H Mohamed
- Department of Theriogenology, Obstetrics, and Artificial Insemination, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Aswan University, Aswan, 81528, Egypt
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