Prevalence of Theileriosis in Cattle

Theileria species undergo cyclical development in ticks to produce sporozoites, which are subsequently injected into mammals to mature into schizonts in leucocytes and piroplasm in erythrocytes. A total of 146 clinically suspected cattle exhibiting anorexia, persistent high fever, enlarged lymph nodes, anemia, dullness, and lethargy were screened using Giemsa-stained blood smear examination and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Out of 146 animals examined, 36 were confirmed positive by PCR, indicating an overall prevalence of 24.65%, whereas blood smear examination detected 30 positive cases (20.54%). The higher detection rate by PCR confirmed its superior sensitivity in diagnosing Theileria infection, especially in cases with low parasitemia. Theileria was higher in unorganized farms (28.57%) compared to organized farms (21.68%). Age-wise analysis showed the highest prevalence in cattle above 3 years (30.12%), followed by 1–3 years (18.18%) and calves below 1 year (12.5%). Further, it was more prevalent in females (27.27%) compared to males (12.00%) while its susceptibility in Holstein Friesian crossbred cattle (27.10%) was maximum, followed by Jersey crossbred (20.83%), and lowest (13.33%) was in indigenous cattle. Clinically affected animals predominantly exhibited pyrexia (100%), enlarged lymph nodes (88.88%), pale conjunctival mucous membranes (88.88%), reduced appetite (88.88%), tick infestation (77.77%), respiratory distress (83.33%), nasal discharge (69.44%), and diarrhea (33.33%).