title: Compromised nutrition in gerbils infected by Cystoisospora felis detected through an animal performance analysis tool.
abstract: The impact of Cystoisospora felis infection on the nutritional efficiency of gerbils was studied. The variables weight gain and feed intake were measured during four weeks in 28 laboratory gerbils, of which 14 were inoculated with 3.5 × 10(5) sporulated oocysts of C. felis and the remaining 14 were controls. The animals from both groups were weighted, killed, eviscerated and had their carcasses and tissues weighted and compared. A modern tool designed for measuring nutritional performance of farm animals was applied. The results showed compromised nutritional efficiency of the infected animals within the first week after infection. The consequences of these results are discussed here, including the potential impact of infection on farm animals performance.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Sanidade Animal, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro--UENF, Campos dos Goytacazes, CEP 28013-602, Rio de Janeiro--RJ, Brazil. efrazao_teixeira@yahoo.com.br
authors.forename: Edwards
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Frazão-Teixeira
authors.forename: Francisco Carlos Rodrigues
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: de Oliveira
authors.forename: Vagner Ricardo da Silva
authors.initials: VR
authors.lastname: Fiuza
authors.forename: Amanda Lucía
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Jiménez-Sanz
authors.forename: Edenio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Detmann
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003048:Coccidiosis / Q000150:complications / Q000662:veterinary*; D005849:Gerbillinae / Q000469:parasitology*; D009748:Nutrition Disorders / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary; D009752:Nutritional Status