Babesiasis of Cattle and Reindeer

a disease whose causative agent is Babesia colchica in cattle and B. tarandi ranogiferis in reindeer. In the USSR the disease occurs in the Northern Caucasus, the republics of Middle Asia, Transcaucasia, and Kazakhstan. The causative agent is transmitted by pasture ticks. In cattle babesiasis occurs simultaneously with piroplasmosis; infection occurs in spring, summer, or, less commonly, autumn. Reindeer are stricken by the disease in summer. Animals that recover from babesiasis remain carriers of the parasite for a long time.

Symptoms of the disease in cattle include elevated body temperature (41.0°–42.0°C), listlessness, jaundice of the mucous membranes, cardiovascular and intestinal disorders, bloody urine, abortions, and decreased milk productivity. A majority of the animals (60 percent or more) die six days after the onset of the disease. Diagnosis is based on symptoms and on detection of the parasite in blood smears and smears taken posthumously from parenchymatous organs. Drugs used to treat the disease include flavakridin (similar to acriflavine), gemosporidin, and Azidin (Berenil). The best prophylactic measure is destruction of ticks on animals and in pastures.