ON STUDY OF BOVINE PYROPLASMOSIS IN THE LOWLAND AND FOOTHILL ZONES OF ARMENIA

Abstract

In two landscape zones of the Republic of Armenia, the regularities of the course of one of the most common haemosporidiosis in cattle, piroplasmosis, were studied. Based on our research, a difference was established in the timing of the onset of the disease, the number of outbreaks, and the severity of clinical signs in animals of the lowland and foothill zones. We have proved that 4 outbreaks of the disease took place in the farms of the lowland zone: the first at the end of April after the attack of ticks on the animal. At the same time, the first symptoms of the disease were noted. The second outbreak of the disease and a high degree of ticks were recorded in the second half of July. The third outbreak was in early August and the fourth in autumn starting from the 10th of October. In contrast to the lowland, there were 3 outbreaks of piroplasmosis in the farms of the foothill zone, and they were not very pronounced. This phenomenon can be explained by the difference in the temperature regime of the natural habitat. In the lowland zone, 4 species of ticks were recorded with the dominant species being Boophilus annulatus rarely found in the foothill zone. In the foothill zone, the same species of ticks as in the lowland were identified, along with the species Dermacentor marginatus.