Plasma Fibrinogen Levels as an Indicator of Inflammatory Disease in Cattle at Veterinary Clinics in Niger State, North Central Nigeria

Plasma fibrinogen is a sensitive acute-phase protein that rises during inflammatory states in cattle and serves as a practical clinical indicator in resource-limited diagnostic settings. This study evaluated plasma fibrinogen concentrations in cattle with and without confirmed inflammatory conditions at veterinary clinics in Minna, Niger State, North Central Nigeria. Eighty cattle were classified into three groups: clinically healthy (25 animals), mild to moderate inflammatory disease (30 animals), and severe inflammatory disease (25 animals), based on clinical examination, rectal temperature, and confirmation of disease diagnosis. Plasma fibrinogen was determined by the heat precipitation refractometry method using paired plasma and total protein values. Fibrinogen concentrations increased significantly with disease severity: mean values were 3.2 g/L in healthy cattle, 6.8 g/L in mild to moderate disease, and 9.4 g/L in severe inflammatory conditions. The method demonstrated 84% sensitivity and 79% specificity for detecting significant inflammatory disease at a threshold of 5 g/L. Fibrinogen was elevated in cattle with pneumonia, peritonitis, and traumatic reticuloperitonitis. Repeat measurements confirmed declining values in animals responding to antibiotic treatment. This study validates the heat precipitation fibrinogen method as a low-cost, field-applicable inflammatory marker for cattle in North Central Nigeria. Keywords: plasma fibrinogen, acute-phase protein, inflammation, cattle, Niger State.