BABESIOSIS
By
Dr. Imaad Rashid
• Bovine babesiosis (BB) is a tick-
borne disease of cattle
• Caused by the protozoan parasites
of the genus Babesia, order
Piroplasmida, phylum
Apicomplexa.
• The disease is also called Texas
Etiology fever, red water, piroplasmosis, or
tick fever in cattle.
• The disease, which is transmitted
by ticks, affects a wide range of
domestic and wild animals and
occasionally people.
Babesiosis may be caused by six or more
species of Babesia that are divided
morphologically into large or small types.
Cattle: Babesia bovis, B, bigemina, B.
divergens, B. major
Etiology Sheep and goats: B. motasi, B, ovis
Horses: B. equi, B. caballi.
• The major large species is Babesia bigemina, and the
major small species is Babesia bovis.
• B. bigemina appears as paired pear-shaped bodies
within erythrocytes and is transmitted by Boophilus
spp., usually Boophilus annulatus.
Transmission
• Ticks are infected by feeding on
infected animals and
subsequently infect their larvae
through transovarian passage.
• Multiple Boophilus spp.,
including B. annulatus and
Boophilus microplus, can
transmit B. bovis, and the larval
stage is the major source of
infection.
• B. bigemina continues to develop
in the larvae, nymph, and
eventually adult ticks, which
then transmit the disease to
susceptible cattle through bites.
Other insects and blood-contaminated
instruments may may transmit
infection, but ticks are the major vector.
Transmission Age = more than 6 months
Calves are thought to have colostral
passive protection or unique
erythrocyte protective factors (or both)
that protect against infection before 6
to 9 months of age.
B. bovis appears as a single, multiple, or
paired complex within erythrocytes.
The single and multiple organisms are
rounded, whereas pairs may be pear shaped
but joined at a more obtuse angle than B.
Size and bigemina.
Shape Erythrocytes infected with B. bovis are less
numerous and more difficult to identify
B. bovis infection to localize in the capillaries
of the brain has made microscopic
examination of the brain a successful
diagnostic test.
• The disease is seen primarily in tropical
and subtropical climates
• B. bovis and B. bigemina are
particularly important in Asia, Africa,
Central and South America, parts of
southern Europe, and Australia.
Pathogensis
Epidemiology • Incubation period 5-10 days
• Following infection multiplication of
protoza in peripheral vessels,
interavascular hemolysis, ---
parasitemia—fever, and
hemoglobinuria—death occur due to
anaemic anoxia
Cattle Babesia bovis:
This is followed by
inappetence, depression,
fever of > 106°F is usually
polypnea (rapid
present for several days
breathing), weakness and
Clinical a reluctance to move.
Finding Hemoglobinuria with very
Anemia and jaundice
develop especially in more
stable froth prolonged and severe
cases
Muscle wasting, tremors
and recumbency develop
Diarrhea may occur in advanced cases
followed terminally by
coma.
Clinical Signs
Many severely affected During the fever stage,
animals die after an pregnant cattle may
illness of only 24 hours abort
Cerebral babesiosis is
Bulls may become sterile
manifested by in-
for 6 to 8 weeks.
coordination
Clinical
signs The mortality rate is
Total course about 3
high in spite of
weeks.
treatment.
Animals that survive
recover gradually from
the severe emaciation
and anemia, which are
expected sequelae
Acutely affected
animals are usually not
Hemoglobinuria is
as severely affected as
present earlier
those with B. bovis
infections.
Disease can develop
Babesia There is no cerebral
very rapidly with
sudden and severe
involvement
bigemina anemia, jaundice and
death.
Animals which recover
from B. bigemina
remain carriers for few
months.
Sudden onset of
The incubation
immobility and
period is 8-10 days.
reluctance to move
There is complete
Lateral recumbency anorexia and fever
of 40°C (104 °F)
Horses Fever often Edema of the
subsides after 1 fetlocks on the
day and becomes head and ventral
intermittent. abdomen.
Fecal balls are
covered with thick
mucus, and colic
occurs frequently.
CLINICAL PATHOLOGY
Hematology
Severe anemia
Erythrocyte counts as low as 2 million/µl and
hemoglobin levels down to 3 g/dL occur in
clinical cases in cattle and horses
The anemia peaking 9-16 days after infection
occurs.
Significant falls in platelet counts
Cattle
• Imidocarb dipropionate (@1
to 3 mg/kg)
• Diminazene aceturate (@3
to 5 mg/kg) and
Treatment Sheep
• Diminazene aceturate is
effective as a treatment in
sheep (3.5 mg/kg BW on
two successive days, or 12
mg/kg BW as a single dose).
