Abstract   

One hundred and twelve clinical cases of tropical bovine theileriosis occurring in Faisalabad between March 1993 and Septeniber 1998 were analysed for frequency distribution of clinical signs (alone and in some combinations) and epidemiological features. In addition, response to buparvaquone and oxytetracycline was evaluated in 72 cases. Clinical signs exhibited included fever (105.63 ± 0.11°F; n = 112), uni- or bilateral pronounced swelling of prescapular (n = 99), parotid (n = 54), prefernoral lymph nodes (n = 58), upward visible bulge of temporal fossa (n 44), bull-calf appearance of female calves (n = 36), protrusion of haemorrhagic conjunctiva with exophthalmos (n 16), subcutaneous and intramuscular swellings (n = 11), pasty or bloody diarrhoea (n = 38), tachypnoea, dyspnoea and pneumonia (n = 10), convulsions, torticollis and other nervous signs (n = 4), haemoglobinuria (n = 2), anaemia (n = 48), inappetence (n = 102), and total refusal to suckle or eat (n = 10). Since 100 per cent of the animals exhibited fever together with uni or bilateral swellings Of prescapular/parotid or pre-femoral lymph nodes, it is suggested that this combination of signs may be used as a surrogate indicator of theileriosis in field diagnosis where laboratory facilities are lacking. Cross-bred calves aged between 15—21 days accounted for 42 per cent of the total cases although, animals (n = 5) aged as young as upto 7 days and as old as 5 years (n = 2) were also affected. In general, from February onward, the frequency of the disease steadily increased, peaked in June (n = 20) and then steadily declined upto November (n = 3). No case occurred in the months of December and January. The disease was strongly associated with the presence of ticks on the body of the affected animals (n = 99), albiet ticks were absent in 13 affected calves. Sixty seven (93%) of 72 animals treated with buparvaquone (@2.5 mg/kg b.wt.) and oxytetracycline (@ 10 mg/kg b.wt.) recovered.