Serological Survey of Babesia bigemina and Babesia bovis in Cattle and Water Buffaloes from Menoufia Province, Egypt

An abattoir study of the prevalence of foot lesions and claw measurements in water buffalo in Egypt

BACKGROUND

Lameness has been associated with compromised animal welfare and reduced productivity in dairy cattle herds worldwide. However, little is known about the prevalence of claw lesions in the dairy buffalo population in Egypt. Furthermore, the optimum measurements for claw trimming in buffalo are unknown. A cross-sectional cadaver study was conducted where 135 pair buffalo hind feet were collected from 4 slaughterhouses and examined for the presence of claw lesions. The proportion and associated 95% confidence interval (CI) of each type of lesion were calculated. A separate set of healthy claws (n = 26) underwent ultrasonography (US) and computed tomography (CT). The agreement between US and CT measurements was assessed using Passing-Bablok regression and intraclass correlation coefficient. The CT measurements were used to calculate trimming recommendations.

RESULTS

At least one lesion was identified in 242 claws (89.6%, 95% CI = 85.4-93.0). In healthy claws, poor to moderate agreement was identified between US and CT measurements which could be due a sample size of the study. The average ± standard deviation (SD) minimum recommended external wall length of the lateral and medial claws in heifers was 7.1 ± 0.36 cm and 7.5 ± 0.35 cm, respectively. The average ± SD minimum recommended external wall length in buffaloes over five years of age was 8.2 ± 0.27 cm and 8.4 ± 0.39 cm for the lateral and medial claws, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The study found a high prevalence of claw lesions in buffalo in Egypt, the clinical significance of which requires further elucidation. Recommended measurements will help guide claw trimming in buffalo to minimise lesions.

Global prevalence and species diversity of tick-borne pathogens in buffaloes worldwide: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Buffaloes are important contributors to the livestock economy in many countries, particularly in Asia, and tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) commonly infect buffaloes, giving rise to serious pathologies other than their zoonotic potential.

METHODS

The present investigation focuses on the prevalence of TBPs infecting buffaloes worldwide. All published global data on TBPs in buffaloes were collected from different databases (e.g., PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar) and subjected to various meta-analyses using OpenMeta[Analyst] software, and all analyses were conducted based on a 95% confidence interval.

RESULTS

Over 100 articles discussing the prevalence and species diversity of TBPs in buffaloes were retrieved. Most of these reports focused on water buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis), whereas a few reports on TBPs in African buffaloes (Syncerus caffer) had been published. The pooled global prevalence of the apicomplexan parasites Babesia and Theileria, as well as the bacterial pathogens Anaplasma, Coxiella burnetii, Borrelia, Bartonella, and Ehrlichia in addition to Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus, were all evaluated based on the detection methods and 95% confidence intervals. Interestingly, no Rickettsia spp. were detected in buffaloes with scarce data. TBPs of buffaloes displayed a fairly high species diversity, which underlines the high infection risk to other animals, especially cattle. Babesia bovis, B. bigemina, B. orientalis, B. occultans and B. naoakii, Theileria annulata, T. orientalis complex (orientalis/sergenti/buffeli), T. parva, T. mutans, T. sinensis, T. velifera, T. lestoquardi-like, T. taurotragi, T. sp. (buffalo) and T. ovis, and Anaplasma marginale, A. centrale, A. platys, A. platys-like and "Candidatus Anaplasma boleense" were all were identified from naturally infected buffaloes.

CONCLUSIONS

Several important aspects were highlighted for the status of TBPs, which have serious economic implications for the buffalo as well as cattle industries, particularly in Asian and African countries, which should aid in the development and implementation of prevention and control methods for veterinary care practitioners, and animal owners.

Virulence of Babesia bigemina in infected cattle (Bos taurus): Molecular and immunological studies

This study examined 400 tick-infested cattle from the following four governorates in Egypt: Faiyum, Beni Suef, Giza, and Minya. These cattle were examined for blood parasites between January 2021 and April 2022. The infected cattle were classified into four groups based on tick infestations and clinical signs. Blood was drawn for assessing oxidative stress markers as well as for parasitological examination and molecular analysis of the 18S rRNA gene of Babesia bigemina (B. bigemina). We performed a comparison of the levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) between B. bigemina-infected blood samples and non-infected blood samples used as negative controls. Babesia spp. infection increases hemolysis, which in turn increases oxidative stress marker levels and cell-mediated immune response.