Some Clinicopathological and haematological Studies on Copper deficiency in sheep in South Sinai region of Egypt

A general complain from the sheep herd owners in South Sinai region of Egypt is enzootic ataxia among sheep raised in the South Sinai was described. Copper (Cu) deficiency was diagnosed in 3 herds of 80, 45, 38 sheep, among of which 6, 3, 2 respectively presented characteristic clinical symptoms of enzootic ataxia. The symptoms began 35 days after birth, with a clinical condition that included difficult locomotion, tremors, limb ataxia, and continual falls. Blood sample was collected to determine plasmatic Cu, The laboratory results showed that the animals presented low copper concentrations in the plasma, without difference between the clinically healthy animals and those affected by enzootic ataxia. Animals clinically affected by enzootic ataxia showed a low number of red blood cells (RBC) and variations in RBC size and shape. The values found for hemoglobin in the Control Group were 10.77±0.35 g.dL–1 while the levels of the affected by enzootic ataxia Group were 7.15 ± 0.35 g.dL–1. The kids from the Problem Group presented an important increase in monocytes, neutrophiles and leukocytes, The anemia of these animals was hypochromic and macrocytic.