PREVALENCE OF TICK-BORNE DISEASES IN PUNJAB (PAKISTAN) AND HEMATOLOGICAL PROFILE OF ANAPLASMA MARGINALE INFECTION IN INDIGENOUS AND CROSSBRED CATTLE

Abstract

The study was designed to investigate the prevalence and distribution of tick-borne diseases (TBDs) and hematological parameters associated with Anaplasma marginale infection in cattle. A total of 1050 blood samples were randomly collected from selected small holders and private livestock farms using multistage cluster random sampling technique. Microscopic examination of the Giemsa stained blood smears revealed an overall prevalence of blood parasites as 21.14%. Anaplasma
marginale was the most prevalent hemoparasite (5.81%) followed by Theileria spp. (5.14%) and Babesia bigemina (4.76%), respectively. Chi square analysis indicated a significant association (P<0.05) between districts as well as between indigenous and crossbred cattle. However, a nonsignificant association between different age groups, seasons, sex and farm sizes was revealed. Haemolytic anaemia was the key clinical manifestation of Anaplasma marginale infection. It has been concluded that tick-borne pathogens were prevalent in selected districts of Punjab, Pakistan