The haematological values of European badgers (Meles meles) in health and in the course of tuberculosis infection.

Captive, healthy, adult badgers have blood containing haemoglobin at 13.3 g/dl, and 8.4 x 10(12)/l red cells with an MCV of 46.2 fl and an MCH of 15.6 pg. They have 5.1 x 10(9) white cells/l of which 3.29 x 10(9) are polymorphs, 1.49 x 10(9) are lymphocytes, 0.26 x 10(9) are monocytes, 0.07 x 10(9) are eosinophils and 0.01 x 10(9) are basophils. These values are somewhat less in adult animals just trapped from the wild, and are lower still in wild cubs. Changes associated with tuberculosis are a rise, and then a fall in red blood count and white blood count, an increase in the proportion of polymorphs and monocytes and a fall in lymphocytes late in the disease. This picture is similar to that seen in widespread, disseminated, tuberculin negative, tuberculosis in humans, a type of disease similar to that occurring in many badgers. BCG vaccination of badgers did not produce any measurable change in the blood picture.