Contents
Anaplasmosis of cattle (cattle) is a fairly common parasitic disease that can cause significant harm to animal health. 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 lies in the fact that even after recovery, some of the ill animals continue to be a carrier of the infection.
What is anaplasmosis
Anaplasmosis of cattle is a dangerous blood-parasitic infection that causes cramps in the limbs, fever, severe physical exhaustion of animals, anemia and the development of irreversible pathologies in the work of the internal organs of cattle. Similar processes are associated with the vital activity of unicellular bacteria (anaplasmas), which multiply rapidly in the blood of a sick individual and fill the blood vessels in the shortest possible time. Cows, goats and sheep are primarily at risk for bovine anaplasmosis.
Harmful bacteria live colonially and at a high concentration of anaplasmas in the blood, the metabolism in the animal’s body is disturbed, and redox processes are suspended. Ultimately, they cut off the oxygen supply to the internal organs and tissues of livestock, which leads to oxygen starvation. When the disease is neglected, anemia is diagnosed in cattle.
Anaplasma life cycle
Anaplasmas are parasites with two hosts. They feed on the nutrients in the blood of cattle, but they pass from one individual to another mainly in the body of ticks and other insects. When a disease vector attaches itself to an animal, harmful microorganisms enter the blood of livestock. Shortly after infection with cattle, anaplasmas begin to multiply rapidly inside erythrocytes, platelets and leukocytes, in a matter of days, forming entire colonies. Reproduction occurs by budding or division of the parent cell.
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;
- blind;
- biting beetles;
- flies-zhigalki;
- sheep bloodsuckers;
- midges
It is not uncommon for an outbreak of anaplasmosis to result from contact of cattle with infected instruments 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 body temperature of the animal;
- discoloration of the mucous membranes of cattle – an excess of bilirubin in the blood of sick individuals leads to the fact that the mucous membranes acquire a yellowish tint;
- heavy, intermittent breathing caused by oxygen starvation;
- rapid pulse;
- physical exhaustion, cattle quickly lose weight;
- lack of appetite;
- lethargy, apathy of behavior;
- cough;
- disruption of the digestive tract;
- reduction in milk yield;
- swelling of the extremities and dewlap in the last stages of anaplasmosis;
- male sterility;
- miscarriages in pregnant women;
- weakness;
- convulsions and fever;
- anemia.
Course of the disease
Anaplasmas that have penetrated into the blood of cattle cause metabolic disorders in the animal’s body and inhibit redox processes. As a result, the life span of erythrocytes is reduced, hematopoiesis is disturbed. Hemoglobin in the blood falls, and this, in turn, causes oxygen starvation.
Insufficient supply of oxygen to the tissues and organs of cattle during anaplasmosis causes anemia and hemoglobinuria. As a result of a violation of the metabolic processes of cattle, a rapid accumulation of toxins in the body of infected individuals begins. Intoxication provokes the development of inflammatory processes, swelling and subsequent hemorrhage in the internal organs of cattle.
Diagnostics
Treatment of the disease is complicated by the fact that it is not so easy to diagnose anaplasmosis. Its symptoms largely coincide with a number of other diseases, which leads to misdiagnosis and the choice of the wrong treatment regimen.
Most often, bovine anaplasmosis is confused with the following diseases:
- babesiosis;
- anthrax;
- leptospirosis;
- piroplasmosis;
- Taylor’s disease.
The correct diagnosis is possible only after laboratory studies 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 well:
- “Morphocycline”;
- “Terramycin”;
- “Tetracycline”.
These drugs are administered to sick animals intramuscularly after dilution in 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 with a frequency of 4 days.
Treatment with Brovaseptol, which is given to a sick individual once a day with a frequency of 1 day, contributes to a speedy recovery. Dosage: 1 ml per 0,1 kg of live weight.
Another method involves the treatment of cattle with Sulfapyridazine, which is preliminarily diluted in water at a ratio of 1:10. The recommended dose of the drug according to the instructions: 0,05 g per 1 kg of live weight.
Effectively destroys anaplasma alcohol solution “Ethacridine lactate”, which is prepared by mixing the drug with ethyl alcohol. 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 a diseased individual intravenously.
Regardless of which drug was chosen for the treatment of anaplasmosis, it is necessary to provide cattle with proper nutrition. In sick animals, metabolic processes are disturbed, therefore, easily digestible foods must be added to the diet of animals. It is also important that livestock always have free access to fresh drinking water. Vitamin supplements are added to the feed.
Stability
Cattle that have recovered from anaplasmosis acquire immunity to infection, however, resistance does not last very long. Immunity disappears on average 4 months after recovery. If a pregnant individual has been ill, then her offspring can receive a longer immunity to the disease due to the intake of antibodies into the body. In case of infection, anaplasmosis in pups will proceed 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 body of animals. Independent recovery is almost impossible due to irreversible changes in the functioning of the organs of cattle, which are caused by the vital activity of anaplasmas.
preventive measures
Prevention of anaplasmosis includes a set of the following measures:
- If an outbreak occurs in the area, animals in the region with the focus of infection are treated with special insect repellents that carry anaplasmosis. Ticks are the main threat to cattle.
- Pastures for walking livestock also need to be disinfected. If this is not possible, they increase the disinfection of cattle – the treatment of animal hair is carried out every week.
- Contact of new individuals with the herd is allowed only after quarantine, which should 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 procedure of desacarization of premises where cattle are housed, yards, as well as tools and additional equipment used for feeding and contact with animals.
- After an outbreak of anaplasmosis in a cattle breeding area, it is advisable to ensure that the animals’ diet includes vitamin and mineral supplements during the winter months.
- To prevent mass infection of cattle with anaplasmosis, animals are compulsorily vaccinated. The vaccination is valid for 1 year, increasing the resistance of livestock to infection.
Conclusion
Bovine anaplasmosis is practically not accompanied by a mass death of animals today, but the fight against this disease is very exhausting, and recovery does not at all guarantee that a repeated outbreak of anaplasmosis will not follow soon. Even after a course of treatment, cattle often remain a carrier 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 comply with all preventive measures designed to prevent the spread of anaplasmosis among animals. However, the best way to prevent infection is to vaccinate the livestock in advance.
You can learn more about the treatment of parasites, tick-borne infections and anaplasmosis from the video below:
