MOLECULAR DIFFERENTIATION OF ANAPLASMA SPP AND THERAPEUTIC STUDIES OF ANAPLASMOSIS IN GOATS
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Date
2023-03-23
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COLLEGE OF VETERINARY AND ANIMAL SCIENCES MANNUTHY, THRISSUR, KERALA VETERINARY AND ANIMAL SCIENCES UNIVERSITY
Abstract
Goat farming is an important source of income for marginal and small farmers in Kerala. Anaplasmosis is among the most significant rickettsial diseases affecting small ruminants in India. The current study aims to the aetiological
agents, identify clinical and haematological changes related to the disease, and evaluate the effectiveness of the therapy protocols used. A total of 100 goats, were brought to the Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University Hospitals in Mannuthy and Kokkalai, as well as those that belonged to organised farms and homes in and around the Thrissur district, with clinical symptoms suggestive of anaplasmosis, including anaemia, fever, debility, tick infestation, lymphadenopathy, cough, and nasal discharge were selected for study. Goats samples were screened using a blood smear examination by field stain. Out of the 100 goats, 50 per cent tested positive for anaplasmosis, 22 per cent tested positive for theileriosis, and 24 tested positive for both theileria and anaplasmosis. No morula was detected in the lymphocytes.Deoxyribonucleic acid was extracted from 100 blood samples. Speciesspecific PCR revealed 68 per cent, 5 per cent, and 8per cent of the goats were positive for A. bovis, A. ovis, and A. phagocytophilum, respectively. A mixed infection of A. bovis, A. ovis, and A. phagocytophilum could be detected in 2 per cent of the 100 goats. Anaplasma capra was not found in any of the samples. Blood smear examination and molecular techniques showed a significant difference. PCR indicating superiority and sensitivity of PCR over blood smear examination. The major clinical signs observed were fever, anorexia, and pallor of mucous membrane, drop in milk production, lymph node enlargement, and diarrhoea. On haematological examination, significant (0.05<P) decrease in values of haemoglobin, MCH, platelets.
Fifty smear positive goats were selected for further epidemiological study. The occurrence was studied in relation to age-wise, gender-wise, and breed-wise. Females (68%) had a significantly (p<0.01) higher infection rate than males
(32%). The highest occurrence of anaplasmosis was found in the <1 year (58%) age group, followed by 1-2 year age group (16%), 2–3 year (6%) and >3 year (10%) age groups, respectively. Malabari goats (54%) had significantly (p<0.01)
higher anaplasmosis infection than Crossbreds (36%), and Attappady goats (10%).The three groups, with eight animals each were chosen at random, and each group received a particular treatment protocol. Group I was treated with
imidocarb dipropionate at @ 5mg per kg body weight IM weekly once for two weeks, Group II with long-acting enrofloxacin @ 7.5 mg per kg body weight IM two doses at three days interval, and Group III with long-acting oxytetracycline at the rate of @ 20 mg per kg body weight IM two doses at three days interval. The effectiveness of the treatment was evaluated by blood smears examination six days and fourteen days following the end of the therapy. Resolution of clinical
signs was also considered as an indicator of recovery and efficacy of the treatment protocol. A statistical analysis showed that the effectiveness of the three treatments was not significantly different from one another. However, all the
animals in Group III had recovered by day six with a 100 per cent recovery rate, whereas the recovery rate was 62.5 per cent for Group II goats and 50 per cent for Group I goats. Therefore, this research suggests that the treatment regimen used in Group III may be the best option for treating caprine anaplasmosis.