J.W. Magona

Clinical features associated with seroconversion to Anaplasma marginale, Babesia bigemina and Theileria parva infections in African cattle under natural tick challenge

A longitudinal study was conducted in Southeast Uganda for 14 months on 640 Zebu cattle kept under natural tick challenge, with a view to identifying clinical features for prediction of seroconversion to Anaplasma marginale, Babesia bigemina and Theileria parva infections. Physical examination, condition scoring and tick counts were undertaken on all cattle every 4 weeks. In addition, 5300 sera were collected and analysed for antibodies against A. marginale, B. bigemina and T. parva infections using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The major clinical features compiled included weight loss, fever (rectal temperature), anaemia (packed cell volume), pallor of mucous membranes, lymph node enlargement, staring coat, diarrhoea and lacrymation. The risk factors included tick challenge at village level, sex, age, Rhipicephalus spp. density and Boophilus spp. density on individual animals. Using a binary logistic regression model, the clinical features and risk factors were analysed. The results suggest that increasing rectal temperature was associated with increased probability for seroconversion to A. marginale, while high level of Rhipicephalus spp. density and increasing packed cell volume (PCV) were significantly associated with reduced probability of seroconversion. Although statistically significant, none of the factors had large effects, with odds ratios (OR) of 0.87, 1.15 and 0.98 for Rhipicephalus spp. density, rectal temperature and PCV, respectively. For B. bigemina infection, a high level of Boophilus spp. density, anaemia and staring coat were significantly associated with increased probability of seroconversion (OR 1.50, 1.78, 1.37, respectively). Presence of lacrymation and old age were associated with reduced probability of seroconversion (OR 0.52, 0.86 respectively). For T. parva infection, lymph node enlargement (OR 1.30) was associated with increased probability of seroconversion, while high Rhipicephalus spp. density and increasing packed cell volume (PCV) were associated with reduced probability of seroconversion (OR 0.68 and 0.98, respectively). In conclusion, presence and intensity of the respective tick vectors for tick-borne diseases, age and clinical features such as anaemia, fever, staring coat, lymph node enlargement and lacrymation are indicators for seroconversion to A. marginale, B. bigemina and T. parva infections in cattle. These indicators for seroconversion could be exploited in the development of decision support tools for clinical diagnosis of tick-borne diseases.

Diagnostic value of rectal temperature of African cattle of variable coat colour infected with trypanosomes and tick-borne infections

Diagnosis of major endemic bovine parasitic diseases in sub-Saharan Africa such as trypanosomosis, theileriosis, anaplasmosis, babesiosis and cowdriosis is increasingly relying on clinical diagnosis due to deterioration of veterinary services and laboratory facilities. Pyrexia is a common clinical feature of aforementioned diseases whose detection relies on measurement of rectal temperature. The research undertaken in this study was aimed at assessing the effects of diurnal changes and variable coat colour of indigenous Nkedi Zebu cattle on the diagnostic value of rectal temperature under tropical conditions. The results revealed that variation in rectal temperature was significantly influenced by time of day it was taken and by the coat colour of the Nkedi Zebu cattle (P<0.001). Rectal temperature experienced diurnal changes: steadily rising to reach a peak at 17.00h before declining. The mean rectal temperature of unhealthy cattle was significantly higher (P<0.05) than that of the healthy ones only between 13.00 and 17.00h of the day. During which period the proportion of unhealthy cattle having a rectal temperature of 39.4 degrees C or higher was significantly higher than that of healthy ones (P<0.001). Regarding the variable coat colour of indigenous breeds, rectal temperature among cattle of different coat colours was significantly different (P<0.05). In conclusion it is important to consider diurnal changes in rectal temperature and differences due to variable coat colour of indigenous African breeds when measuring rectal temperature for assessing pyrexia, during clinical diagnosis of bovine trypanosomosis and tick-borne diseases that are endemic in many countries in sub-Saharan Africa.