Theilerial infection in young bovine calves in Odisha, India

Abstract

The present study was conducted for a period of twelve months from July 2015 to June 2016 to study the incidence of theileriosis and hemato-biochemical changes in the affected young bovine calves in and around Bhubaneswar. The calves of less than one year age with clinical signs of theileriosis presented/ represented to Teaching Veterinary Clinical Complex or Department of Veterinary Pathology, C.V. Sc. & A.H., OUAT were included in the study. Out of 93 suspected cases examined, 83 (89%) were found positive for bovine tropical theileriosis by blood smear examination with presence of intraerythrocytic piroplasms in different shapes like round, oval, coccoid, signet ring, dot, racquet, pear, rod or bacilli indicating high prevalence among calves in Odisha. Distribution of positive cases of theileriosis was more in rainy season (48%) followed by summer (33%) and least in winter season (19%). Most of the positive cases (81/83) were in the crossbred calves. In majority of cases, common clinical signs recorded were anorexia, pyrexia, enlarged prescapular and prefemoral lymph nodes, trembling while standing, pale conjuctival mucus membrane, corneal opacity, haemoglobinuria, nasal discharge, coughing and grinding of teeth. cachexia, diarrhoea. In the present study, all of the blood indices significantly lowered than the average value of apparently healthy calves indicating anaemia. The Hb%, PCV%, TEC, TLC, serum total protein and albumin in affected calves were 8.93gm%, 25.87%, 4.58 million/cc, 6.88 thousands/cc,5.89g/dl, and 2.39g/dl respectively.