25/06/2021
💠Diseases caused by protozoa
Babesiosis (Piroplasmosis ,Texas fever, Red water, Tick fever)
Babesiosis is a protozoan parasitic febrile disease of cattle, horses, sheep and swine caused by Babesia spp..
In sheep and goats, babesiosis is caused by Babesia motasi and Babesia ovis.
Acute signs of the disease are characterized with fever, anaemia, parasitemia and haemoglobinuria. B. ovis usually causes a milder form of the disease than does B. motasi. The parasite grows and multiplies in the blood corpuscles (erythrocytes) of sheep and goats and causes haemoglobin (constituent of erythrocytes) elimination in urine (haemoglobinuria).
🔴Transmission :
Different species of ticks in the family Ixodidae serve as vectors of infection.
Babesia ovis infection transmitted experimentally in sheep has caused acute signs of disease, parasitemia and lasting immunity similar with babesiosis in cattle.
🔴Antemortem findings :
1. Incubation 7 – 10 days
2. High fever (41.5°C)
3. Difficult breathing
4. Anaemia
5. Loss of appetite
6. Dark reddish brown urine
7. Recovered animals may be emaciated, have reduced milk production, and some may
also abort.
There are no characteristic signs in the chronic disease.
🔴Postmortem findings :
1. Enlarged, yellow liver and distended gall bladder containing thick dark bile. The bladder
mucosa is edematous and yellow.
2. Subcutaneous tissue and connective tissue in the muscles are edematous and
jaundiced.
3. Thin watery blood and red urine in the bladder
4. Enlarged spleen
5. Edematous and haemorrhagic lymph nodes
🔴Judgement :
Carcass of an animal in the subclinical form of the disease or in the chronic stage may have a favourable judgement providing the carcass is adequately set and icterus is not present. An animal carcass showing acute form of the disease accompanied with fever, marked
anaemia and haemoglobinuria and/or emaciation is condemned.
🔴Differential diagnosis :
Trypanosomiasis,
theileriosis,
haemobartenellosis,
leptospirosis,
bacillary haemoglobinuria and anaplasmosis
Treatment
Babesia is a parasite and won’t respond to antibiotics alone.
🔴Treatment and control:
The same drugs used for bovine babesiosis are applicable for ovine and caprine babesiosis treatment;
👉Quinuronium sulphate has been widely used, Acaprin 1 ml/50 kg BW by SC injection at tail fold.
👉Diminazene aceturate (Berenil) is effective treatment 3.5 mg/kg BW by IM injection on two successive, or 12 mg/kg BW as a single dose.
👉Imidocarb dipropionate salt (Imizol) are effective at a dose1mg/ kg Bw, (Imizol 0.1 ml /10 kg BW by SC injection).
🔴Control measures depend on tick control by dipping. Where ovine and caprine babesiosis is endemic, it is best to create and maintain a state of a stable situation to eliminate the opportunity for epidemic infection in a flock.
