Babesiosis and Anaplasmosis Haemoprotozoan Diseases of Ruminants (Cattle and Buffaloes)
Anuruddha Singh Niranjan*
*Assistant Professor, Department of Veterinary Parasitology, Apollo College of Veterinary Medicine (ACVM), Jaipur (Rajasthan)
Abstract
India is predominantly an agricultural country with about 70% of its population dependent on income from agriculture and livestock industry. Livestock is an important source of animal protein for farm families and also used for draught power in agriculture and transport, and their dung is used to increase soil fertility. Haemoprotozoan diseases are most common in cattle and buffaloes which are mainly transmitted by ticks and sometimes blood sucking flies. These diseases cause great losses to the livestock owners due to decrease in milk production. So it is important to control the diseases by checking the ticks and flies population with the help of insecticides or acaricides.
- Babesiosis or cattle tick fever or red water disease or Texas fever
- It is an intracellular parasite found in the red blood cells of vertebrate hosts.
- It is an important disease of cattle and buffalo.
- Cross bred cattle are more susceptible than indigenous cattle.
- It is caused by Babesia bigemina, a haemoprotozoan parasite.
- These are large, round to pyriform or amoeboid organisms.
- Organisms are characteristically pear shaped and lie in pairs forming an acute angle in RBCs of vertebrate hosts.
- It is transmitted by ixodid ticks of genus Boophilus microplus, Boophilus annulatus, Boophilus decoloratus, Rhipicephalus appendiculatus, R. evertsi, R. bursa.
Clinical sign and symptoms
- First sign of disease is high fever (40-410C) which may rise up to 45.50
- Conjunctivae appear brick red in beginning and then become anaemic in advanced stage.
- Haemoglobinurea (coffee coloured urine), jaundice which terminate in death.
- Cessation of rumination, salivation, dryness of muzzle, lacrymation, fall in milk yield.
- Death is due to unabated destruction of RBCs because of autoimmune mechanism, failure to recoup blood loss, cerebral anoxia and accumulation of toxic by-products.
Diagnosis
- Diagnosis of disease is based on-
- History of Boophilus ticks on infected animals
- Clinical symptoms-mainly high fever with coffee coloured urine and jaundice
- Blood smear examination
- Serological tests
- Complement fixation test (CFT)
- Indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFA)
- Indirect haemagglutination (IHA)
- Capillary tube agglutination test
- Molecular test- Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
Treatment
- Trypan blue (azo dye) @ 50-100 ml of 1% solution, only I/V route
- Acridine derivatives ( Acriflavin) @ 2.2 mg/kg body wt., I/V route
- Diminazine aceturate (Berenil) @ 3-5 mg/kg body wt., S/C or I/M route for two consecutive days
- Imidocarb dipropionate @ 1.2 mg/kg body wt. as single dose through S/C route. For prophylaxis 3 mg/kg body wt. as a single S/C route.
- Quinuronium sulphate @ 1 mg/kg body wt. as 5% solution as a single dose through S/C route
Control
- Segregation and treatment of infected animals
- Control of vectors with use of acaricides
- Proper disposal of manure and treatment of breeding places of vectors to reduce the population of ticks
- Immunoprophylaxis of animals
- Babesia exoantigen vaccine has been developed through Microaerophilus stationary phase (MASP) culture technique which prevents clinical disease and induces protective immunity for at least 13 months.
Blood picture showing the Babesia sp.
- Anaplasmosis
- It is an intracellular parasite found in the red blood cells of vertebrate hosts.
- It is an important disease of cattle and buffalo.
- It is caused by Anaplasma marginale OR Anaplasma centrale, a rickettsiale parasite.
- Organisms are found inside RBCs without cytoplasm and with a light halo around them. They are round, filamentous, oval or disc like.
- It is primarily transmitted by ixodid ticks of genus Boophilus sp., Rhipicephalus sp., Dermacentor sp., Hyalomma sp.and Ixodes sp.
- There may be mechanical transmission by blood sucking flies, viz., tabanid dlies, Stomoxys fly, deer fly and mosquitoes.
- The disease may also be transmitted during surgical operations such as dehorning, castration, vaccination, blood sampling etc.
Clinical sign and symptoms
- High fever with irregular periods, anorexia
- Pale/jaundiced mucous membranes after the acute phase passed
- In peracute cases, sudden onset of high fever, anaemia, icterus
- Severe dyspnoea and death often within 24 hours.
- In chronic cases, severe anaemia and animals become prone to other infections.
- Loss of milk production
- Abortion in pregnant animals
Diagnosis
- Diagnosis of disease is based on-
- History of ticks and blood sucking flies
- On basis of clinical symptoms
- Parasite detection in blood smears
- Anaplasma marginale found at margin of RBCs
- Anaplasma centrale found at centre of RBCs
- Serological tests
- Complement fixation test (CFT)
- Capillary tube agglutination test
- Gel precipitation test
- Fluorescent antibody test (FAT)
- Molecular test- Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
Treatment
- Tetracycline @ 6-10 mg/kg body wt., I/M injection, single for three days.
- Imidocarb dipropionate @ 1.2 mg/kg body wt. as single dose through S/C route. For prophylaxis 3 mg/kg body wt. as a single S/C route.
- Diminazine aceturate (Berenil) @ 3-5 mg/kg body wt., S/C or I/M route for two consecutive days.
- Supportive treatment includes slow administration of blood transfusion.
Control
- Control of ticks and flies population with help of acaricides/ insecticides
- Proper treatment of positive cases
- Segregate the infected animals
- Blood examination time to time
- Surgical instruments properly sterilized before using
Blood picture showing the Anaplasma sp. parasite
https://www.msdvetmanual.com/circulatory-system/blood-parasites/anaplasmosis-in-ruminants
