Toxic changes

An elevated white blood cell count and toxic or reactive changes of the cells may indicate what?

• Answer:
Heterophils become active and toxic with systemic disease. Monocytes, present in the peripheral blood and reactive, suggest chronic or granulomatous inflammation.

West Nile Virus

West Nile Virus in birds causes severe inflammation and stimulatioin of the immune system. What changes will you see in the hemogram?

• Answer:
The peripheral blood picture of birds infected with West Nile Virus often shows very elevated white blood cell counts, reactive lymphocytes and monocytes.

Septicemia

Sepsis is a potentially life-threatening condition caused by the body’s response to an infection. Sepsis or blood poisoning is usually caused by what organism?

• Answer:
Bacterial infections that enter the blood stream are responsible for this type of infection. Bacterial sepsis is life threatening if not treated aggressively.

Regenerative Left Shift

A bird’s hempgram reflects a n increase of the white blood cells with mature heterophils, a few immature heterophils and toxicity. What does this suggests?

• Answer:
A leukocytosis with an increase of mature heterophils that are toxic, and outnumber the immature heterophils, is considered a regenerative left shift in response to infection.

Leukamoid Response

An elevated white blood cell count with large numbers of lymphocytes, very large in appearance, resembling monocytes, high N:C ratio, and scalloped edges may suggest what?

• Answer:
Lymphocytes with this type of appearance may be termed atypical lymphocytes. Certainly an underlying neoplastic process must be considered, as well as underlying viral, bacterial or parasitic infections.

Plasma is normally colorless or may have a yellowish color.  Green plasma suggests what and is considered a grave prognosis.

• Answer: biliverdinemia

In some situations, the erythrocytes (RBC) may show perinuclear rings that may be mistaken for a blood parasite. What causes this?

• Answer: Peri-nuclear rings are clear irregular retractile spaces in the cytoplasm and are considered artifacts associated with slow drying of the blood smear