Haemoparasites and the haematobiochemical profiles associated with Anaplasma marginale infections of cattle in Ilorin, Nigeria

doi:10.51607/22331360.2021.70.3.335

Abstract

Haemoparasitism is a major cause of economic loss in many cattle-producing countries of the world. This study is, therefore, aimed at determining the prevalence, patterns of infections and risk factors associated with haemoparasitic infections of cattle in Ilorin, Nigeria. It is also aimed at determining the effect of Anaplasma marginale infection on the haemato-biochemical profiles of White Fulani cattle. Blood samples were collected from 478 apparently healthy cattle from both farms and slaughterhouses. The collected blood samples were subjected to parasitological, haematological, and biochemical analyses. The study revealed the presence of six haemoparasites:Anaplasma marginale (25.3%), Babesia bigemina (22.6%), Babesia bovis (12.1%), Trypanosoma sp. (8.6%), Theileria sp. (7.1%), and Anaplasma centrale (5.2%). The haemoparasite species co-infections rate decreased with increase in the number of co-infections. Breed, body condition score, level of packed cell volume (PCV) and presence of ticks were the risk factors significantly associated (p<0.05) with the occurance of A. marginale infection, while breed, age, body condition score, physiological status, PCV and presence of ticks weresignificantly associated (p<0.05) with the occurrence of B. bigemina infection. Haemoglobin concentration, PCV, red blood cells (RBC), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), albumin, blood urea nitrogen, calcium, glucose, total bilirubin, and total protein were the haematological and biochemical parameters significantly associated (p<0.05) with A. marginale infection in the White Fulani breed of cattle. The data obtained from this study should ultimately improve the cattle production sector for better profitability in Nigeria.

Highlights

Haemoparasitism remains persisting as the major challenge facing animal health, production and reproduction causing the destruction of red blood cells resulting in anaemia, icterus, anorexia, emaciation, reduced productivity, infertility and even death (Ola-Fadunsin et al, 2018; Abdullah et al, 2019)
The prevalence of the other detected haemoparasites ranged between 22.6% (B. bigemina) and 7.1% (Theileria sp.) (Figure 1)
We reported A. marginale, B. bigemina, B. bovis, Trypanosoma sp., Theileria sp. and A. centrale as the haemoparasites affecting cattle in the study area

Summary

Introduction

Haemoparasitism remains persisting as the major challenge facing animal health, production and reproduction causing the destruction of red blood cells resulting in anaemia, icterus, anorexia, emaciation, reduced productivity, infertility and even death (Ola-Fadunsin et al, 2018; Abdullah et al, 2019). The negative effects of haemoparasitic infections in man and animals is a global phenomenon, occurring more in tropical and subtropical countries, including Nigeria (Wenyet al., 2017; Ola-Fadunsin et al, 2018). Among the various economically important bovine diseases, vector-borne haemoparasitic infections such as anaplasmosis, babesiosis, ehrlichiosis (cowdriosis), mycoplasmosis, theileriosis and trypanosomosis are recognized as a major cause of severe clinical illnesses in cattle (Haque et al, 2012; Ola-Fadunsin, 2017a; Ola-Fadunsin et al, 2018). While low-grade parasitaemia may be readily observed in blood smears from apparently healthy animals, heavy infection may inflict losses to the cattle industry due to the increase in mortality, reduced growth rate and production, lowered working efficiency and abortions (Sajid et al, 2007; Yitayew and Samuel, 2015)

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