Prevalence of tick-borne haemoparasitic diseases in cattle of West Bengal, India

The aim of present study was to investigate the prevalence of tick-borne haemoparasitic diseases (TBHD) infecting cattle of West Bengal, India. A total of 310 cattle were screened randomly by blood smear examination from July 2015 to June 2016. The prevalence was recorded in the context of sex and age of cattle and seasonal changes. The overall prevalence of TBHD was 34.84% and the prevalent species of haemoparasites were Theileria, Babesia and Anaplasma spp. in cattle of West Bengal. The prevalence of Theileria sp. (22.9%) was significantly (p < 0.01) higher compared to Babesia sp. (5.8%) and Anaplasma sp. (11.93%). Mixed infection with two or more species was also recorded in about 5.8% of cattle in the present study. No significant difference was observed between the male (32.14%) and female cattle (35.43%). Significantly (p < 0.05) higher infection (49.07%) was recorded in adult cattle (>3 years of age) compared to young-adult (1-3 years age; 20.68%) and younger animals (<1 year age; 16.66%). Season-wise highest prevalence was recorded in summer (45.54%) followed by monsoon (40.74%) and lowest in winter (25.8%). The results of the present study might be exploited for formulating control strategy for the management of TBHDs in cattle of West Bengal.