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Bovine anaplasmosis is a fairly common parasitic disease that can cause significant harm to the health of animals. The disease rarely leads to the death of livestock, however, it is severe, and its treatment is associated with considerable financial investments and time costs. That is why the fight against this disease is combined with a set of preventive measures aimed at preventing re-infection. The danger of the disease is that even after recovery, some of the recovered animals continue to be carriers of the infection.
What is anaplasmosis
Cattle anaplasmosis is a dangerous blood parasitic infection that causes limb cramps, fever, severe physical exhaustion of animals, anemia and the development of irreversible pathologies in the internal organs of livestock. Such processes are associated with the vital activity of single-celled bacteria (anaplasmas), which quickly multiply in the blood of a sick individual and fill the blood vessels in the shortest possible time. Those at risk for bovine anaplasmosis are primarily cows, goats and sheep.
Harmful bacteria live colonially and with a high concentration of anaplasma in the blood, the metabolism in the animal’s body is disrupted, and redox processes are suspended. Ultimately, they cut off the supply of oxygen to the internal organs and tissues of the livestock, which leads to oxygen starvation. When the disease is advanced, cattle are diagnosed with anemia.
Life cycle of Anaplasma
Anaplasmas are parasites with two hosts. They feed on nutrients found in the blood of cattle, but pass from one individual to another mainly in the body of ticks and other insects. When a disease carrier attaches itself to an animal, harmful microorganisms enter the livestock’s blood. Soon after infection of cattle, anaplasmas begin to rapidly multiply inside red blood cells, platelets and leukocytes, forming entire colonies in a matter of days. Reproduction occurs by budding or division of the parent cell.
The bacteria enter the body of ticks or other carriers of anaplasmosis by sucking the blood of infected animals. In the body of insects, parasites multiply primarily in the intestines and Malpighian vessels, from where they can be transmitted to the offspring of infection carriers.
Thus, the life cycle of anaplasmas includes stages of reproduction both in the body of insects - the main carriers of anaplasmosis, and in the body of cattle.
Conditions for the spread of the disease
The main sources of anaplasmosis are blood-sucking insects, which include:
- ixodid ticks;
- mosquitoes;
- horseflies;
- biting beetles;
- burner flies;
- sheep bloodsuckers;
- midges.
There are frequent cases where an outbreak of anaplasmosis was the result of contact of cattle with infected tools or equipment.
Symptoms of anaplasmosis in cattle
The effectiveness of treatment largely depends on the stage at which anaplasmosis was diagnosed in cattle. To do this, you need to know the first signs of infection:
- a sharp increase in the animal’s body temperature;
- change in the color of the mucous membranes of cattle - an excess of bilirubin in the blood of sick animals leads to the fact that the mucous membranes acquire a yellowish tint;
- heavy, intermittent breathing caused by oxygen deprivation;
- rapid pulse;
- physical exhaustion, cattle quickly lose weight;
- lack of appetite;
- lethargy, apathetic behavior;
- cough;
- disruption of the gastrointestinal tract;
- decrease in milk yield;
- swelling of the limbs and dewlap in the last stages of anaplasmosis;
- sterility in males;
- miscarriages in pregnant individuals;
- weakness;
- convulsions and fever;
- anemia.
Course of the disease
Anaplasmas that have entered the blood of cattle cause metabolic disorders in the animal’s body and inhibit redox processes. As a result, the lifespan of red blood cells is reduced and hematopoiesis is disrupted. Hemoglobin in the blood drops, and this, in turn, causes oxygen starvation.
Insufficient oxygen supply to the tissues and organs of cattle during anaplasmosis causes anemia and hemoglobinuria. As a result of disruption of the metabolic processes of cattle, a rapid accumulation of toxins begins in the body of infected individuals. Intoxication provokes the development of inflammatory processes, swelling and subsequent hemorrhage in the internal organs of livestock.
Diagnostics
Treatment of the disease is complicated by the fact that diagnosing anaplasmosis is not so easy. Its symptoms largely coincide with a number of other diseases, which leads to erroneous diagnoses and the choice of the wrong treatment regimen.
Most often, bovine anaplasmosis is confused with the following diseases:
- babesiosis;
- anthrax;
- leptospirosis;
- piroplasmosis;
- theileriosis.
Correct diagnosis is possible only after laboratory testing of a blood smear of an individual with suspected anaplasmosis.
Treatment of anaplasmosis in cattle
At the first signs of the disease, the infected individual is separated from the herd to confirm the diagnosis and subsequent treatment.
In the fight against anaplasmosis, a whole range of drugs is used. In particular, the following drugs have proven themselves to be effective:
- "Morphocycline";
- "Terramycin";
- "Tetracycline".
These drugs are administered to sick animals intramuscularly after dilution in a novocaine solution (2%). Dosage: 5-10 thousand units. per 1 kg of live weight. The course of treatment lasts 5-6 days, the medicine is administered daily.
No less popular is Oxytetracycline 200, a drug that has a long-term effect on the animal’s body. It is also administered intramuscularly, 1 time per day, every 4 days.
A speedy recovery is facilitated by treatment with Brovaseptol, which is given to the sick individual once a day at intervals of 1 day. Dosage: 0.1 ml per 1 kg of live weight.
Another method involves treating cattle with Sulfapyridazine, which is pre-diluted in water in a ratio of 1:10. Recommended dose of the drug according to the instructions: 0.05 g per 1 kg of live weight.
An alcohol solution of “Ethacridine lactate”, which is prepared by mixing the medicine with ethyl alcohol, effectively destroys anaplasmas. Proportions: 0.2 ml of the drug, 60 ml of alcohol and 120 ml of distilled water. The resulting mixture is thoroughly stirred and filtered, after which it is injected into the body of the sick individual intravenously.
Regardless of which drug was chosen for the treatment of anaplasmosis, it is necessary to provide the cattle with proper nutrition. Sick animals have impaired metabolic processes, so it is necessary to add easily digestible foods to the animals' diet. It is also important that livestock always have free access to fresh drinking water. Vitamin supplements are added to the food.
Sustainability
Cattle that have recovered from anaplasmosis acquire immunity to the infection, however, resistance does not last long. Immunity disappears on average 4 months after recovery. If a pregnant individual has been ill, her offspring can receive longer-lasting immunity to the disease due to the entry of antibodies into the body. In case of infection, anaplasmosis in cubs will occur in a milder form.
Forecast
The prognosis for anaplasmosis is generally favorable.If the disease is diagnosed in time and treated comprehensively, death can be avoided. Lack of proper treatment greatly depletes the animal's body. Independent recovery is almost impossible due to irreversible changes in the functioning of cattle organs, which are caused by the vital activity of anaplasmas.
Preventive measures
Prevention of anaplasmosis includes a set of the following measures:
- If an outbreak of disease occurs in the area, animals in the region with the source of infection are treated with special insect repellents that carry anaplasmosis. The main threat to cattle is ticks.
- Pastures for livestock walking also need to be disinfected. If this is not possible, disinfection of cattle is intensified - animal hair is treated every week.
- Contact of new individuals with the herd is allowed only after quarantine, which must last at least 1 month. During this time, the animal is examined for symptoms of anaplasmosis. If no signs of illness were noticed, the newcomer is sent to relatives.
- At least 3 times a year, it is recommended to carry out the decontamination procedure of premises where cattle are housed, yards, as well as tools and additional equipment used for feeding and contact with animals.
- Following an outbreak of anaplasmosis in cattle breeding, it is advisable to ensure that the animals' diet during the winter months includes vitamin and mineral supplements.
- To prevent mass infection of cattle with anaplasmosis, animals are required to be vaccinated. The vaccination is valid for 1 year, increasing the resistance of livestock to infection.
Conclusion
Bovine anaplasmosis is practically not accompanied by mass death of animals these days, but the fight against this disease is very debilitating, and recovery does not at all guarantee that a repeated outbreak of anaplasmosis will not soon follow. Even after a course of treatment, cattle often remain carriers of the infection and transmit it to healthy individuals. In addition, the immunity developed after infection is short-lived and disappears after a few months. That is why it is so important to follow all preventive measures designed to prevent the spread of anaplasmosis among animals. At the same time, the best way to prevent infection remains early vaccination of livestock.
You can learn more about the treatment of parasites, tick-borne infections and anaplasmosis from the video below:
