BABESIOSIS

Babesiosis is one of the most fatal tick bornae protozoan disease of cattle and buffalo caused by babesia spp.it causes significant mortility,morbidity and loss of production.it is most important tick borne disease of cattle and buffalo in india.it is also occur in humans.In humans disease is called Lime disease.this disease infects most animals like cattle,buffalo,sheep,goat,horse and dog but it is most occurs cattle and buffalo even in dogs.this disease is highly dangerous then other protozoan diseases because this causes destruction of red blood cells of animal and produce anemia and cause death of animal within 3 to 4 days.

Causes- Babesiosis is protozoan disease caused by babesia spp. Babesia bovis and Babesia bigemina are two most common species of babesia which causes disease in cattle and buffalo.Babesia canis and Babesia gibsoni are most common strain of babesia which causes disease in dog.Babesia gibsona is mostly effect the dogs.Babesia equi and Babesia cabali causes disease in horses. Babesiosis is transmitted by tick Rhipicephalus spp.
B.bigemina is transmitted by Boophilus(Rhipicephalus) microplus-one host tick.
B.canis is transmitted by Rhipicephalus sanguineus-three host tick.

Host-Babesiosis is mostly occurs in cattle,buffalo,dog and horses sometimes occurs in sheep and goat even in human.cattle,buffalo and dogs are mostly infected by babesia in india. cross breeds of cattle,buffalo and dogs are highly.indiginous breeds of these animals are highly resistant for the disease.

Symptoms-Babesiosis is highly fatal disease.Babesia cause severe distruction of red blood cells result liberation oh hemoglobin and this hemoglobin is passes through the unine thats why clolur of uribe changed to coffee colour severe distruction of RBC causes anaemia.in acute cases the common sign is Haemoglobinurea,animal passes coffee colour urine,urination is freqent,high rise of temperature,swelling of superficial lymphnodes,severe anaemia,loss of apetite,reduce milk production.
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Fig Hemoglobinuria in cattle due to Babesiosis

Fig Hemoglobinuria in cattle 

Fig Hemoglobinuria in cattle

Diagnosis-Babesiosis can be confused with other diseases like post parturient hemoglobinuria,theileria etc.therefore confirmatry diagnosis by microscopic examination is very essential.under microscope morphology of babesia is depend of types of species.deferent species has different morphology but all species of babesia always present in the erythrocytes(red blood cells.Babesia bigemina is a largest species of babesia.it is occurs in pairs in the infected cell.its looks like two pear shape organism attached with each other but mainly single form is observed in the RBCs.B.bovis is smaller then bigemina.it is small,oval organism looks like large form of theileria sometimes its create confusion to the theileria.B.canis is also occur in pairs but the angle between to pairs is larger then B.bigemina.B.gibsoni is small,round half ring like structure.it smallest babesia species.B.equi occurs in four pairs which are attech to each other and looks like maltes cross structure.B.cabali is also occur in pairs looks like B.bigemina but it is only occur in horses.

Fig 1 pear shaped piroplasm of Babesia bigemina

Fig 2 paired piroplasm of B.bigemina inside the erythrocyte

Fig 3 B.bigemina 

Babesia bigemina

                               

Babesia bigemina in buffalo

                                                       Babesiosis in dog

Introduction-canine babesiosis is a tick borne haemoprotozoan disease of dogs occuring in topical and subtopical area of India particularly where vector ticks are present in sufficient number.The disease is caused by two species of Babesia i.e. Babesia canis and Babesia gibsoni both are transmitted by  transmitted by Rhipicephalus sanguineus-three host tick.Babesia canis is large form whereas Babesia gibsoni is small form of babesia.

Fig-Babesia canis larger then the Babesia bigemina

Babesia canis

Symptoms-it is characterised by high fever, anorexia,lethargy,haemolytic anaemia sometimes icterus,vomition and loss of body condition.The clinical syndrome produced by B.canis and B.gibsoni is indistinguishable but B.canis infection is generally consideres to be more acute.

Note-Haemoglobinuria is not observe in case of canine babesiosis but it is markedly observed in bovine babesiosis because canine RBCs are larger then the cattle that'swhy B.gibsoni are not able to breakdown of dog's rbcs.but sometimes haemoglobinuria can be observed in savere case of B.canis because it is largest form dof babesiosis.

                   
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Treatment-For therapeutic management the effected dog is treated with Diminazine aceturate@5mg/kg body wt intramuscular at 48 hr interval or Doxycyline @150 mg bid for 15 days orally.

Supportive therapy must be given daily untill recovery.supportive therapy includes Fluid therapy(dextrose saline @ 40ml/kg bodt wt till oral consumtion began),inj. Imferon(iron dextron 50 mg/ml) 2ml I/M on alternate day for 3-4 days,Liver tonic syp. Liv 52 or inj belamyl @ 1 ml I/M on alternate day for 3-4 days and syp. Polybion 1-2 tsf BID orally for 1-2 weeks.

                                                           

Choice of drug for babesiosis