Reference Values for Hematological and Serum Biochemical Parameters of Dromedary Camel (Camelus dromedarius) in Sub-Tropical Climate of Bangladesh

Three species of camel are found in the world: single humped camel, double humped camel, and wild Bactrian camel. The single humped camel is commonly known as Dromedary or Arabian camel and is the smallest of the three species. Dromedaries are well-known for transportation, racing, milk, meat, and fiber. They can adapt easily in desert regions due to their ability to remain without drinking water for extremely long periods and having fluctuating body temperature. Ninety-four percent of the world's camel population is of the dromedary type. Dromedaries are usually found in the Horn of Africa, Middle East, and South Asia. The largest concentration of camels in the world is found in the Horn region of Africa alone. India and Pakistan have 70% of the camel population of Asia, with most of them found in the state of Rajasthan, India. Research on camel physiology in sub-tropical climatic conditions is necessary for understanding their health status. Clinical chemistry and hematology are essential for disease diagnosis and research. Hematology and serum biochemical parameters are vital indicators of an animal's health status. Many researchers have conducted studies on camel hematology and the influence of different seasons, age, health status, and lactation stage on hematological and biochemical profiles in Saudi-Arabia, Sudan, and Iran. However, no research findings are available on camel hematological and serum parameters in sub-tropical climatic conditions of Bangladesh. Therefore, this study estimated reference intervals of hematological and biochemical parameters of camels in Bangladesh context as a baseline study. The study was conducted between September and October 2015 in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Fifty-two blood samples were collected from dromedary camels. The selected farm was established with six imported camels from India in 2006. Twenty-two camels sampled from the farm were born in Bangladesh, while the rest were imported from India. The sampled animals were either born in Bangladesh or had passed a reasonable amount of time in Bangladesh, making them suitable for the study purpose. The number of samples represented the total camel population at the time of sampling. Ten milliliters of blood was collected aseptically from the jugular vein of each animal, with 5 mL in vials containing ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) as anticoagulant for hematology and the other 5 mL into plain vacuum containers for biochemical analysis. Serum samples were stored at -200°C until analysis. Routine hematological parameter values, including Hemoglobin (Hb), Packed Cell Volume (PCV), Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR), Total Erythrocyte Count (TEC), Total Leukocyte Count (TLC), neutrophil, eosinophil, basophil, monocyte, and lymphocyte count, were determined following the procedure described by Sharma and Singh (2000). Serum samples were analyzed using an automatic biochemical analyzer (Humalyzer-3000, USA). Glucose, Total Protein (TP), albumin, urea, Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT), Triglyceride (TG), and Aspartate Transaminase (AST) levels were estimated for each sample. All samples were processed and tested at the biochemistry laboratory of the Department of Physiology, Biochemistry, and Pharmacology, CVASU, Bangladesh. Data were collected on the origin of the animal, age, sex, and health status. Information about the origin of the animal was collected from the owner, while a veterinarian in the study team assessed the health status of each animal. All the data were recorded using MS Excel and analyzed by STATA-13. Reference intervals were calculated with 90% confidence interval (CI) by MedCalc Statistical Software version 17.5.5. Variables that were not distributed normally had their reference intervals calculated using the Robust method. Animals were grouped according to age (Adult >3 year, Juvenile <3 year of age), sex (male and female), and health status (based on the veterinarian's assessment).