SURVEILLANCE OF HAEMOPROTOZOAN AND HAEMORICKETTSIAL DISEASES OF CATTLE OF NORTHERN KERALA
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Date
2008
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College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy.
Abstract
A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the carrier status of
haemoprotozoan and haemorickettsial diseases of cattle of Northern Kerala. The
diagnostic methods employed were microscopical examination of blood smears
stained with Giemsa and Acridine Orange and polymerase chain reaction. A total
of 150 blood samples were collected from the five districts of Northern Kerala (30
samples from each district). Microscopical examination of Giemsa stained smears
revealed Theileria like piroplasms (41.2 per cent), Babesia piroplasms (2.6 per
cent) and Anaplasma inclusions (1.3 per cent) while Acridine Orange stained
smears detected Theileria like piroplasms in 47.2 per cent, Babesia piroplasms in
2.6 per cent and Anaplasma inclusions in 2 per cent of blood smears examined.
Acridine Orange staining is more easy, time saving and reliable in detecting of
haemoparasites than Giemsa staining technique. Polymerase chain reaction
detected haemoprotozoan like T. evansi (34.6 per cent), B. bigemina (0.6 per
cent), an uncharacterized Theileria organism (16 per cent) and T. orientalis (1.3
per cent). A. marginale (16.7 per cent) and A. bovis (3.3 per cent) were the
haemorickettsial organisms detected by PGR. Mixed infections were detected ir
16.6 per cent of the samples. T.annulata, B. bovis and A. phagocytophila were not
detected in any of the samples. Polymerase chain reaction showed much higher
sensitivity compared to examination of stained smears in detecting carrier
animals. Trypanosomosis is the most prevalent protozoan disease among carrier
animals of Northern Kerala which were detected only with the help of PGR whfie
microscopy totally failed to detect such carriers. The high prevalence
haemoprotozoan and haemorickettsial diseases suggests the abundance of tick ,
and flies in Northern Kerala which acts as vectors for these parasites. Kannur .and
Palakkad districts revealed maximum prevalence of T. evansi. In addition,
anaplasmosis was also widely prevalent in Palakkad district. Microscopical
examination of blood smears from cattle of the hilly districts of Wayant.i
Malappuram and Kozhikode revealed the presence of a Theileria like piroplabn.
which were not amplified with PCRs specific for Theileria genus, T. annulata or
T. orientalis and this uncharacterized piroplasm needs urgent attention.
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