Hyperglobulinemia and increased erythrocyte membrane osmotic instability of intermediate hosts infected with the zoonotic parasite, Linguatula serrata

This study was performed to determine the prevalence of infection in sheep and goats by observing parasite nymph in mesenteric lymph nodes and indirect haemagglutination test. Furthermore, changes in serum protein and membrane osmotic instability of erythrocytes in infected and non-infected groups were evaluated. 791 samples of blood and mesenteric lymph nodes from sheep (456) and goats (335) were collected from the slaughterhouse of Ahvaz city (Khuzestan province). The results showed that 7.8% of all ruminants in the present study were infected with L. serrata. The infection rate was estimated to be 5.7% in sheep and 10.7% in goats. Total protein and albumin concentration, as well as albumin to globulin ratio, decreased significantly and globulin levels increased significantly in the infected group compared to the non-infected group in both animals (p˂0.05). The amount of membrane osmotic instability of erythrocytes increased in the groups infected with L. serrata (p˂0.05). Overall, the present study showed that sheep and goats are infected with L. serrata in Iran. This parasite also causes changes in the serum proteins of small ruminants. Infection with this parasite may cause oxidative stress and damage the structure of red blood cells and increase their membrane instability.