Volume 8, Number 12—December 2002
Dispatch
Naturally Occurring Ehrlichia chaffeensis Infection in Two Prosimian Primate Species: Ring-tailed Lemurs (Lemur catta) and Ruffed Lemurs (Varecia variegata)
Cathy V. Williams*
, Jan L. Van Steenhouse†, Julie M. Bradley‡, Susan I. Hancock‡, Barbara C. Hegarty‡, and Edward B. Breitschwerdt‡
, Jan L. Van Steenhouse†, Julie M. Bradley‡, Susan I. Hancock‡, Barbara C. Hegarty‡, and Edward B. Breitschwerdt‡Table
Comparison of blood parameters from normal and Ehrlichia chaffeensis–infected lemursa
| Normal (n=18) | Infected (n=8) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test | Mean | SDb | Range | Mean | SD | Range |
| Glucose (mg/dL) | 127 | 55 | 55–238 | 226 | 88 | 96–337 |
| Urea nitrogen (mg/dL) | 20 | 5 | 8–29 | 38 | 14 | 15–57 |
| Creatinine (mg/dL) | 0.9 | 0.1 | 0.7–1.2 | 1.7 | 0.2 | 1.2–1.9 |
| Total protein (g/dL) | 7.8 | 0.3 | 7.1–8.2 | 7.0 | 0.9 | 5.3–8.1 |
| Albumin (g/L) | 5.7 | 0.3 | 5.2–6.6 | 5.0 | 0.7 | 3.8–6.0 |
| Total bilirubin (mg/dL) | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.3–0.6 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 0.6–1.3 |
| Alkaline phosphatase (IU/L) | 240 | 83 | 125–476 | 89 | 38 | 44–144 |
| Aspartate transferase (IU/L) | 46 | 26 | 20–128 | 86 | 41 | 33–155 |
| Alanine transferase (IU/L)c | 81 | 51 | 10–210 | 128 | 85 | 47–321 |
| Sodium (mg/dL) | 146 | 4 | 141–152 | 137 | 3 | 134–142 |
| Chloride (mg/dL) | 104 | 4 | 97–111 | 97 | 4 | 91–103 |
| Platelets (x103/μL) | 327 | 132 | 165–685 | 181 | 135 | 34–410 |
| Packed cell volume (%) | 51.1 | 3.6 | 45.6–57.6 | 55.1 | 5.9 | 46–62.4 |
| WBC (x103/μL)d | 6.1 | 1.5 | 3.9–8.8 | 5.0 | 2.9 | 1.0–9.5 |
| Neutrophils (x103/μL)d | 3.6 | 1.3 | 0.3–6.0 | 2.8 | 1.9 | 0.3–6.3 |
| Lymphocytes (x103/μL) | 2.7 | 1.5 | 1.1–5.4 | 1.6 | 1.0 | 0.2–3.0 |
aVariation between means of normal and infected animals is significant at a confidence level of p<0.05 using the 2-sample t test, except where otherwise specified.
bSD, standard deviation.
cp=0.18.
dp=0.34; WBC, leukocyte count.
