Vol. 11, Special Issue 2 (2022)

Author(s):
Priyanka Tank, KK Jakhar, Vikas Nehra and Deepika Lather

Abstract:
The poultry industry suffers great losses due to bacterial and viral epidemics and endemics. Amongst these infections, the one caused by Escherichia coli (E. coli) is quite common and avian pathogenic E. coli (APEC) in particular, causes a large number of severe respiratory and systemic pathological conditions/diseases. The ill effects of the infection are found aggravated due to immuno-suppression caused by the pesticides being used for the agriculture purposes. In the present study, impact of alpha-cypermethrin exposure was studied on hematological parameters of poultry experimentally infected with E. coli. A total number of one hundred and fifty, day old broiler chicken were taken. Alpha-cypermethrin was given 1/5^th of the maximum tolerated dose (i.e. 63.94 mg/kg. body weight) through drops via oral route from seven days onwards till the termination of the experiment. At the age of fourteen, the birds in the treatment group were also experimentally infected with 10⁷ CFU of E. coli in 1.0 ml normal saline solution via intraperitoneal route. Haematological studies revealed significant reduction in Haemoglobin (Hb), Packed cell volume (PCV), Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), Total Erythrocyte count (TEC), Mean corpuscular volume (MCV), Mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH) and Mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC) in all the E. coli infected and alpha-cypermethrin intoxicated birds as compared to the birds of control group. However, Total leukocyte count (TLC) and Differential leukocyte count (DLC) showed significant increase in E. coli infected and alpha-cypermethrin intoxicated group as compared to control group. Thus, alpha-cypermethrin intoxication (1/5^th maximum tolerated dose) enhanced the severity of E. coli infection as evidenced by haematological findings.