Effect of nutritional level on bodyweight, degree of anaemia and carcase composition of sheep infected with Trypanosoma congolense.

The influence of nutritional level on the bodyweight, degree of anaemia and carcase composition of 24 sheep infected experimentally with Trypanosoma congolense was investigated. The infection caused a marked retardation of growth in the animals fed a low protein ration whereas the infected and control animals fed a high protein ration grew at similar rates. Both groups of infected animals developed similar degrees of anaemia but the infected group fed the high protein diet tended to sustain a higher intensity of parasitaemia than the group fed the low protein diet. The infection was also associated with low killing out percentages and a general reduction of total carcase protein, energy and fat. The decline in these carcase components was greater in the animals fed the low protein diet than in those receiving the high protein diet.