PREVALENCE OF TROPICAL BOVINE THEILERIOSIS: AN ASSESSMENT

Tropical bovine theileriosis poses a significant threat to livestock productivity and health, often presenting as anaemia, sharp decline in milk production, progressive weight loss, and potential mortality. Establishing effective prevention and control measures requires a thorough evaluation of the regional prevalence and its underlying epidemiological drivers. The current study investigates the occurrence of bovine theileriosis and its associated managemental risk hazards among cattle populations in the Tirupati district of Andhra Pradesh. A total of 524 cattle were investigated between December 2022 and November 2023. Blood samples and lymph node impression smears were examined to detect the presence of Theileria and confirmed by PCR. Of the 524 cattle examined, 120 were confirmed positive for Theileria annulata by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), resulting in an overall prevalence of 22.9% (120/524). Notably, animals older than three years exhibited a higher T. annulata infection rate (37.41%) than their younger counterparts. Females showed a prevalence of 24.94%, while Holstein Friesian cattle exhibited a prevalence of 26.9%. Seasonal variation was also evident, with the highest infection rate recorded during the rainy season (44.87%). The findings indicate that age, breed, and season were significantly associated with the occurrence of T. annulata infection (p < 0.05), whereas no significant association was observed with sex (p > 0.05). These findings highlight the importance of age, breed, and season-specific surveillance, along with regular tick control and improved farm management practices, for reducing the burden of bovine tropical theileriosis.