Study on haematological findings in cattle with clinical Babesiosis

The report details hematological observations from a study involving 28 adult cattle afflicted with clinical babesiosis.The study, conducted in the YSR district of Andhra Pradesh from January to December 2023.Diagnosis of babesiosis through symptoms such as fever, hemoglobinuria, tick infestation, and positive results from microscopic examination of stained peripheral blood smears.Whole blood samples were analyzed using an automatic blood analyzer to assess hematological parameters.The hematological findings revealed significant alterations in several parameters among the infected cattle compared to healthy counterparts.Notable reductions were observed in hemoglobin (P=0.001),packed cell volume (P=0.001),total erythrocyte count (P=0.003),mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (P=0.046), and absolute lymphocyte count (P=0.042).Conversely, there were no significant changes in mean corpuscular hemoglobin (P=0.063) and absolute monocyte count (P=0.082).Moreover, the infected cattle exhibited significant increases in mean corpuscular volume (P=0.035),total leukocyte count (P=0.021),absolute eosinophil count (P=0.034), and absolute neutrophil count (P=0.007)compared to their healthy counterparts.Assessing the hematological profile in infected cattle provides valuable insights into animal health during infection.The present study concludes the macrocytic anemia with leukocytosis, leucopenia, neutrophilia and eosinophilia in cattle with babesiosis.Complete blood count is essential to assess the extent of the infection and the overall health status of the animal for formulation of treatment and management strategies.