Theileriosis in Cattle
Dr Anita kumari and Dr Purushottam
Department of veterinary surgery and radiology ,College of veterinary and animal science,Rajasthan university of veterinary and animal sciences, Bikaner, Rajasthan
Introduction
Theileriosis is a tick-borne haemoprotozoan disease of cattle caused by haemoprotozoan parasite of Theileria spp. The most important species Theileria annulata which causes disease in india and Theileria parva causes disease in african countries. In india disease is also called as “Bovine tropical theileriosis”. The disease is characterized by high fever, enlarged lymph nodes, severe anaemia, and death in some infected animals. Theileriosis has been recorded in animals of all ages. The disease is very mild in indigenous cattle and the indigenous cattle suffer only in appearance, the disease cause extensive damage to exotic cattle and their crossbreeds by being asymptomatic carriers of this infection.
Mode of transmission
Disease is mostly observed during summer and rainy seasons. The preponderance is attributed to higher activity of vector during this season (May to October). This is also influenced by stress due to hot and humid weather. The disease is transmitted by the bite of the tick of the Hyaloma species. Theileriosis can affect cattle of all ages, however heavily pregnant, lactating, and stressed cows tend to be at greatest risk, due to resultant reduction in immunity.
Clinical signs
The incubation period of disease is varies from 8 to 12 days, and the course of the disease lasts for 10-19 days.
- The first clinical sign is an enlargement of lymph nodes
- High rise of temperature (40.5℃ to 41.5 ℃), generally Fever commences one to four days later
- There is loss of milk production and muscle ache, and swelling of all the superficial lymph glands.
- The animal becomes anorectic and there is a progressive loss of condition.
- Initially, there may be constipation, but after few days of fever, diarrheoa is usually present.
- The feaces contain blood and have a coating of bloody mucous.
- Watery discharge from the eyes during most of the courses of infection, and some animals shows, photophobia and peripheral opacity of the cornea.
- Anaemia is a consistent syndrome with T annulatainfection, bilirubinemia, and bilirubinuria, and at times, clinical jaundice is also present.
- A subacute form of the disease occurs in calves born of immune dams in an endemic area. The clinical signs are similar to the acute form but not as pronounced, and recovery is more common.
Diagnosis
- By Clinical signs
- Blood smear examination
- Lymph node biopsy
- Serological tests like Indirect Fluorescence Antibody (IFA), Complement Fixation Test (CFT), Capillary Tube Agglutination Test (CAT), HI, IHA, Conglunating Compliment Antibody Test (CCAT), and peroxidase test can also be employed for the serological diagnosis of the disease.
- Demonstration of Kock’s Blue Bodies in blood smear and lymph node smear is confirmatory.
- The presence of punched ulcers in the abomasum is a pathognomic lesion.
Treatment
- Oxytetracycline 10mg/kg body weight IM a course of 4 injections with a Terramycin 20mg/kg as a single dose treatment.
- Berenil 10mg/kg body weight IM on an alternate day 3-4 injections.
- Nivaquine 1-15 mg/kg body weight IM for 3-4 injections.
- Supportive therapy with antihistaminics, haematinic mixture, and blood transfusion is helpful.
Prevention
- Since ticks act as a vector, it is necessary to keep animals in tick-free sheds and surroundings and control of ticks combined with control of cattle movement
- The strategic use of vaccination
- Specific chemotherapy where this can be effectively applied
- Systemic dipping and rotation of grazing land
- Recording of temperature at regular intervals
- Examination of blood and lymph nodes of suspected animals
- Where two host ticks are involved, effective treatment with acaricide every 1-12 days will prevent the development of nymphs and kill all preimaginal stages
- Where host ticks are involved, 5-7 days of treatment will prevent engorgement
- A high volatile acaricide should be used for building to attack ticks hidden in cracks or crevices
- All bushes should be burnt
References
Acharya A.P., Panda S.K. and Prusty B.K. (2017). Diagnosis and confirmation of Theileria annulata infection in cattle in Odisha, India. Journal of Entomology and Zoology Studies 2017; 5(4): 1543-1546.
Gill B.S., Bhattacaryulu Y. and Kaur D. (1977). Symptomes and pathology of experimental bovine tropical theileriosis (Theileria annulata infection). Annales de parasitology (Paris), 1977, t. 52, 6 pp. 597-608.
Ginja M.M.D., Silvestre A.M., Gonzalo-Orden J.M. and Ferreira A.J.A (2010). Diagnosis, genetic control and preventive management of canine hip dysplasia: A review. The Veterinary Journal 184 (2010) 269–276.
Brinker, Piermattei, And Flo’s (2006). Handbook of small animal orthopedics and fracture repair, fourth edition. pp 475-509.
