Synonyms Etiology Bovine Theileriosis life cycle pathogenesis clinical findings diagnosis treatment prevention and control

1. THEILERIOSIS
Dr. Dhaval F. Chaudhary
(B.V.Sc. & A.H.)
College of Veterinary Science & Animal Husbandry, AAU, Anand

2. SYNONYMS
 East coast fever
 Red water
 Rhodesian tick fever

3. ETIOLOGY
 Theileriosis is caused by theileria spp. eg., Theileria parva, Theileria annulata, Theileria
ovis.
 In cattle, goats, sheep and wild and captive ungulates.
 Theileriosis is a hemoparasitic disease caused by protozoa of the genus theileria.
 Theileria species affect domestic and wild ruminants, especially in Africa, Europe,
Australia, and Asia.
 The parasites are transmitted by tick.
 These parasites, undergo repeated merogony in the lymphocytes ultimately releasing
small merozoites, which invade the red cells to become piroplasms.
 Theileriosis, have a variety of tick vectors which cause infections ranged from clinically
inapparent to rapidly fatal.

4. BOVINE THEILERIOSIS
 Bovine theileriosis is caused T. parva. The tick vector is Rhipicephalus
appendiculatus. in East Africa.
 East coast fever generally occur in cattle but also buffalo and occurs
 ECF is prevalent throughout the water area.
 T. parva is a highly fatal disease in cattle and this disease is a great
threat on the development of the livestock industry, with losses of about
10,000 cattle per year in Zambia.

6. LIFE CYCLE OF
THEILERIA PARVA

8. PATHOGENESIS
 Transmitted through bite of ticks of genus Hyalomma.
 Transmitted mechanically by inoculation of blood and tissue
suspension made from spleen, lymph nodes and liver of infected
animals.
 After entry the organism at sporozoit stage remains in blood
circulation and enters in erythrocytes but they don’t multiply.
 Multiplication occurs in lymphocytes where it forms schizonts .

9.  Multiplication occurs in lymphocytes where it forms schizonts .
 Infected lymphocytes are ruptured and schizonts are released and
other lymphocytes are affected.
 Later some schizonts are differentiated unto merozoites .
 Rapidly multiplying schizonts are causing severe damage to
lymphoid cells through their lysis.

10. CLINICAL FINDING
 High rise of temperature (104F-106F)
 Enlargment of regional superficial lymph node.
 Increse heart and respiratory rate.
 Tense eye balls along with watery lacrimation.
 Labourrd respiration, serous nasal discharge and coughing.
 Depression and petechial haemorrhages on counjuctiva.
 Anemia
 Bilirubinuria and jaundice in some case.
 Occasional nervous signs.

11. DIAGNOSIS
 Demonstration of protozoan parasite in
blood smear
lymph node biopsy
 Symptoms and lesions
 Immunodiagnostic tests for demonstration of antigen /antibody
 ELISA

12. TREATMENT
 Buparvaquone is the most effective drug and the recommended dose
in cattle, sheep and goat is 2.5mg /kg BW.
 Broad spectrum antibiotics like tetracycline, oxytetracycline,
chlortetracycline have been used with success.
 Halofuginone lactate @ 1.2 mg/kg b.wt orally about recovery
 Bereline has been used with success.

13. PREVENTION AND
CONTROL

14. SANITARY PROPHYLAXIS
 Bovine theileriosis is generally controlled by the use of acaricides to kill
ticks, but this method is not sustainable.
 Acaricides are expensive, they cause environmental damage, and over
time ticks develop resistance to them requiring newer acaricides to be
developed.
 More sustainable and reliable methods for the control of theileriosis that
deploy a combination of strategic tick control and vaccination are
desirable, however, these are yet to be successfully applied on a large
scale in endemic areas.
 Sanitation and disinfection measures are not generally effective in
preventing transmission of theileriosis.

15. MEDICAL PROPHYLAXIS
 Chemotherapeutic agents such as buparvaquone are available to treat
T. parva and T. annulata infections.
 Treatments with these agents do not completely eradicate theilerial
infections and lead to the development of carrier states in their hosts.
 Recovery from one strain of T. annulata confers cross-protection against
most other strains.
 Complete cross-protection does not occur with T. parva Inactivated
vaccines.

16.  None are available Live attenuated vaccines.
 Reliable vaccines of known efficacy have been developed for T. parva
and T. annulata.
 For T. annulata, the vaccine is prepared from schizont-infected cell lines
that have been isolated from cattle and attenuated during in-vitro culture.
 The vaccine must remain frozen until shortly before administration

17. THANK YOU!!!