The present research aimed to document the incidence, clinical signs, haematological, and serum biochemical alterations, as well as electrocardiography and echocardiography findings in 62 buffaloes (selected from a total of 240) infected with Trypanosoma evansi. The study spanned one year, from January 2022 to December 2022. Morphological identification of Trypanosoma evansi was done by the presence of a centrally positioned nucleus with a small sub-terminal kinetoplast at the posterior position through microscopic examination of Giemsa stained peripheral blood smears. The incidence of trypanosomosis were determined to be 26% (62/240) using stained blood smear examination and 41% (98/240) through polymerase chain reaction assay. Clinical signs exhibited by buffaloes with trypanosomosis included the lack of rumination (94%; 58/62), anorexia (90%; 56/62), emaciation (87%; 54/62), loss of milk yield (84%; 52/62), ocular discharges (82%; 51/62), depressed demeanour (81%; 50/62), sunken eye balls (61%; 38/62), fever (60%; 37/62), scleral congestion (56%; 35/62) and intermittent fever (42%; 26/62). Cardiovascular clinical findings in affected buffaloes included tachycardia (44%; 27/62), cardiac arrhythmia (24%; 15/62), cardiac murmurs (19%; 12/62) and muffled heart sounds (18%; 11/62). In the present study, buffaloes with trypanosomosis exhibited significant reduction in haemoglobin (p = 0.008), packed cell volume (p = 0.004), total erythrocyte count (p = 0.003), mean corpuscular volume (p = 0.042), total leucocyte count (p = 0.048) and absolute neutrophil count (p = 0.012); a significant increase in absolute eosinophil count (p = 0.011) and absolute monocyte count (p = 0.008) compared to the apparently healthy buffaloes. Additionally significant decrease in albumin (p = 0.001), A/G ratio (p = 0.007), calcium (p = 0.008), glucose (p = 0.007), phosphorous (p = 0.048), sodium (p = 0.008), potassium (p = 0.041) and chloride (p = 0.046) were observed in buffaloes with trypanosomosis compared to healthy ones. Buffaloes with trypanosomosis also showed significant increase in globulin (p = 0.004), aspartate aminotransferase (p = 0.008), bilirubin (p = 0.034), blood urea nitrogen (p = 0.071), creatinine (p = 0.029), cholesterol (p = 0.046), lactate dehydrogenase (p = 0.009), gamma-glutamyl transferase (p = 0.004) and creatine kinase-myoglobin binding levels (p = 0.005). Electrocardiography explorations in buffaloes with trypanosomosis revealed sinus tachycardia, low voltage QRS complex, ST segment elevation, wide QRS complex, sinus arrhythmia, sinus bradycardia, wandering pace maker, first degree atrio ventricular block, biphasic T wave and tall T wave. Echocardiography examination unveiled cardiac chamber dilatation, ventricular wall thickening and indications of pericarditis/cardiac tamponade. Necropsy was carried on the dead buffaloes during the study period disclosed severely congested blood vessels on epicardial surface, endocardial haemorrhages, and presence of pericardial fluid. Histopathological examination of the heart revealed hyaline degeneration, haemorrhages in the cardiac muscles and varying degrees of degenerative changes. Additionally, the pericardium displayed increased thickness due to presence of more elastic fibres, fibroblast cells in the myocardium, discontinuity of muscle layers, vascular congestion, perivascular mono nuclear cell infiltration and augmented thickness of the endocardium with fibroblast cell proliferation. The study’s conclusion highlights cardiac alterations as secondary complications in buffaloes infected with Trypanosoma evansi. Further investigations are recommended to elucidate therapeutic modifications and refine the treatment paradigm.

本研究旨在记录感染伊氏锥虫的 62 头水牛（从总共 240 头水牛中选出）的发病率、临床症状、血液学和血清生化变化，以及心电图和超声心动图检查结果。该研究历时一年，从 2022 年 1 月到 2022 年 12 月。通过对吉姆萨染色的外周血涂片进行显微镜检查，通过中心定位的细胞核和位于后部位置的小型亚末端动质体的存在来对伊氏锥虫进行形态学鉴定。通过染色血涂片检查确定锥虫病的发病率为26%（62/240），通过聚合酶链反应测定确定锥虫病的发病率为41%（98/240）。患有锥虫病的水牛表现出的临床症状包括缺乏反刍（94%；58/62）、厌食（90%；56/62）、消瘦（87%；54/62）、产奶量损失（84%；52） /62)、眼部分泌物(82%; 51/62)、情绪低落(81%; 50/62)、眼球凹陷(61%; 38/62)、发烧(60%; 37/62)、巩膜充血（56%；35/62）和间歇性发烧（42%；26/62）。受影响水牛的心血管临床表现包括心动过速（44%；27/62）、心律失常（24%；15/62）、心脏杂音（19%；12/62）和心音低沉（18%；11/62） 。在本研究中，患有锥虫病的水牛表现出血红蛋白（p  = 0.008）、细胞压积（p  = 0.004）、红细胞总数（p  = 0.003）、平均红细胞体积（p  = 0.042）、白细胞总数（p = 0.042）显着减少。p  = 0.048）和绝对中性粒细胞计数（p  = 0.012）； 与表面健康的水牛相比，嗜酸性粒细胞绝对计数 ( p  = 0.011) 和单核细胞绝对计数 ( p = 0.008)显着增加。此外，白蛋白 ( p  = 0.001)、A/G 比 ( p  = 0.007)、钙 ( p  = 0.008)、葡萄糖 ( p  = 0.007)、磷 ( p  = 0.048)、钠 ( p = 0.008)、钾也显 着降低 与健康水牛相比，在患有锥虫病的水牛中观察到了（p  = 0.041）和氯化物（p = 0.046）。患有锥虫病的水牛的球蛋白 ( p  = 0.004)、天冬氨酸转氨酶 ( p  = 0.008)、胆红素 ( p  = 0.034)、血尿素氮 ( p  = 0.071)、肌酐 ( p  = 0.029)、胆固醇 ( p  = 0.046)、乳酸脱氢酶 ( p  = 0.009)、γ-谷氨酰转移酶 (p  = 0.004）和肌酸激酶-肌红蛋白结合水平（p  = 0.005）。锥虫病水牛的心电图检查显示窦性心动过速、低电压 QRS 波群、ST 段抬高、宽 QRS 波群、窦性心律失常、窦性心动过缓、游走性起搏器、一度房室传导阻滞、双相 T 波和高 T 波。超声心动图检查发现心室扩张、心室壁增厚以及心包炎/心包填塞的迹象。在研究期间对死水牛进行尸检，发现心外膜表面血管严重充血、心内膜出血和心包液的存在。心脏的组织病理学检查显示透明变性、心肌出血和不同程度的退行性改变。此外，由于心肌中存在更多的弹性纤维、成纤维细胞、肌肉层的不连续性、血管充血、血管周围单核细胞浸润以及随着成纤维细胞增殖而增加的心内膜厚度，心包显示出厚度增加。该研究的结论强调，心脏改变是感染伊氏锥虫的水牛的继发并发症。建议进一步研究以阐明治疗修改并完善治疗范式。