VETERINARY COLLEGE-HASSAN

veterinary clinical practice (0+6)

DEPARTMENT OF VLD
A CASE PRESENTATION ON BOVINE BABESIOSIS

SUBMITTED BY :
SUBMITTED To :
SHARANABASAVA .B
DEPARTMENT OF VLD
HVK 1607
 CASE HISTORY

CASE DETAILS:
 Case no:19843
 Species: Bovine
 Breed: HF
 Age: 4 years
 Owners name: Prasanna

HISTORY : Anorectic since a week, lateral recumbancy,

lethargy, depression, noticed dark red or brown
(coffee- decoction)colour of urine.
Physical examination of animal
 CLINICAL EXAMINATION

 Icteric mucus membrane.

 Yellowish discoloration of skin.
 Swollen lymph node.
 Pale conjunctival and oral mucus membrane.
 Temp:103.6⁰F.
 Ticks were noticed on body.

Tenative diagnosis: Babesiosis

Differential diagnosis: Theileriosis, Anaplasmosis.
Sample collected : Blood
 LABORATORY DIAGNOSIS

COMPLETE BLOOD COUNT (CBC)

PERIPHERAL BLOOD SMEAR EXAMINATION

HAEMOTOLOGY REPORT:
 RBC :3.41×106 /µl
 HB : 4.3 G/dl
 PCV : 16.9%
 WBC : 9.4×103/ µl
 LYMPOCYTES : 70%
 PLATELETS : 93×103/ µl
BLOOD SMEAR EXAMINATION & PROCEDURE

 Collect a drop of blood from an peripheral blood vessel

preferably the ear margin and place a drop on a clean
glass slide.
 Make a thin smear on the glass slide.
 Fix the slide in absolute methyl alcohol for 2 min. let the
smear to dry.
 Stain in a 1 in 10 dilution of giemsa’s stain for 20 min.
(add 1 ml of stock giemsa’s to 9 ml of neutral buffered
water).
 Wash the smear, air dry it and examine under oil
immersion objective for detecting the haemoprotozoa.
MICROSCOPIC EXAMINATION

Babesia bigemina Bebesia bigemina

(B.bigemina organisms showing tear shaped
structure inside the RBCs).
 TRETMENT GIVEN

Berinil(diminizine aceturate)@ 3.5mg/kg b.wt,

deep i/m.

Meloxicam @0.2mg/kg b.wt, i/m.

Belamyl , 10ml , i/m.

Chlorphenaramine maleate , 10ml , i/m.

 BOVINE BABESIOSIS

SYNONYMS:

Tick fever

Cattle fever

Texas fever

Redwater

Piroplasmosis
 AETIOLOGY

Bovine babesiosis is a tick-borne disease of cattle caused by the

protozoan parasites.
Phylum : Apicomplexa.
Order : Piroplasmida.
Genus : Babesia.

 The principal species of Babesia that cause BB are:

Babesia bovis.
Babesia bigemina.
Babesia divergens.
 EPIDEMIOLOGY

 All Babesia are transmitted by ticks with a limited

host range.

 The principal vectors of B. bovis and B. bigemina

are Rhipicephalus spp.

 The major arthropod vector of B. divergens is

Ixodes ricinus.
 TICKS

Rhipicephalous spp Ixodes ricinus

 OCCURRENCE

Babesia bovis and B. bigemina are more widely

distributed in Africa, Asia, Australia, and Central and
South America.
o Babesia divergens is economically important in
some parts of Europe and possibly northern Africa.
 HOSTS

B. bovis and B. bigemina :

Cattle ,Water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) and
African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) .

B. divergens :
 Cattle and Rein deer (Rangifer tarandus)
 Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus)and
other rodents are resistant to disease .
 TRANSMISSION

B. bigemina transmitted by feeding of adult and

nymphal stages of one-host Rhipicephalus
spp.ticks.

B. bovis transmitted by feeding of larval stages of

one-host Rhipicephalus spp. ticks .

Ixodes ricinus is a three-host tick with only adult

stages feeding on vertebrates (eg. cattle)
LIFE CYCLE
 CLINICAL SIGNS

B. bovis generally being more pathogenic than B. bigemina or B. divergens.

 Babesia bovis :
 High fever
 Ataxia and incoordination
 Anorexia
 Production of dark red or brown-colored urine
 Signs of general circulatory shock
 Sometimes nervous signs associated with sequestration of
infected erythrocytes in cerebral capillaries
 Anaemia and haemoglobinuria may appear later in the
course of the disease
 In acute cases: maximum parasitaemia.
 CLINICAL SIGNS

 Babesia bigemina :
 Fever.
 Haemoglobinuria and anaemia .
 Production of dark red or brown-colored urine .
 Nervous signs minimal or non-existent as intravascular
sequestration of infected erythrocytes does not occur .
 Parasitaemia often exceeds 10% and may be as high as
30%.

 Babesia divergens :
 Parasitaemia and clinical appearance are similar to B.
bigemina infections.
 Differential diagnosis

 Anaplasmosis
 Trypanosomiasis
 Theileriosis
 Bacillary haemoglobinuria
 Leptospirosis
 Rapeseed poisoning
 Chronic copper poisoning
 DIAGNOSIS

Incubation period is 2–3 weeks, after tick

infestation.
Microscopy :wright-Giemsa stain.
 DIAGNOSIS

PCR(polymerase chain reaction)

 Detects presence of antigen only.
 Confirms exposure not infection.

IFA(indirect fluorescent antibody test)

 Detects antibodies due to exposure.
 Not specific.
 Requires high antibody titer.

In-vitro cultures and latex agglutination.

Complement fixation test

 PREVENTION AND CONTROL

 Sanitary prophylaxis :

By elimination of tick vector or intensive chemotherapeutic

regimes .

Reducing exposure of cattle to ticks.

 By using repellents, acaricides and regular inspection of animals

and premises.

Endemic environments should be monitored carefully.

 PREVENTION AND CONTROL

Medical prophylaxis :

Vaccine for Babesia:

Live vaccine: most live vaccines contain specially selected strains

of Babesia (mainly B. bovis and B. bigemina).
Caution : It may be virulent in adult animals, may be
contaminated with other disease agents and could lead to
hypersensitivity reactions; usually used in younger animals.

Killed vaccine: prepared from blood of B. divergens-infected

calves.
 TREATMENT

Drug Trade Dosage and Advantages disadvantag

Name route of es
administratio
n
Diminazene Berenil 3.5mg/kg , i/m Rapid activity
Ganaseg against B.bovis
Trypazen and ---
Babezene B.bigemina;
Dimisol well tolerated
amicarbalide Diampron 5-10mg/kg, Same as above
Pirodia s/c or i/m ---
imidocarb Imizol 2-3mg/kg , Same as above Nephrotoxic
Forray 65 s/c or i/m hepatotoxic at
high dose
phenamidine Phenamidine 12mg/kg , Greatest Cholinesterase
s/c or i/m activity against inhibition
B.bigemina
Thank you