Temporal Trends of Tick-borne Haemoparasitic Infections in Cattle of Assam, India: A Five-year Retrospective Study

Background: Haemoparasitic diseases in cattle are infectious conditions primarily transmitted by arthropods, particularly ticks. In India, especially in the northeastern region (NER), these diseases lead to significant economic losses for farmers, impacting both production and treatment costs. This study aims to investigate the prevalence of haemoparasitic diseases in cattle around Guwahati, as there is a lack of comprehensive data on their prevalence over an extended period in this area. Methods: The study was conducted for a period of five years from 2017 to 2021. To study the prevalence of haemoparasite Giemsa-stained blood samples from cattle presented to OPD of Veterinary Clinical Complex, CVSc, AAU, Khanapara were examined. The study was carried out concerning breed, age and sex of the animal and also regarding the prevailing seasonal changes. Result: A total of 2100 cattle were screened, out of which 1767 (84.14%) were found to be infected with haemoparasites. In the present study, infection with Theileria was found to be the highest (72.94%) followed by Anaplasma marginale (12.00%) and Babesia bigemina (11.09%). A mixed infection of haemoparasite was also recorded as 3.96%. The parasites were identified based on morphology in Giemsa-stained blood smear. The highest infection was recorded in the age group of greater than 5 years (89.23%) followed by 1-5 year group (85.99%). Similarly female animals are found to be more infected (84.92%) than that of the male (77.14%). Seasonally, the prevalence of haemoprotozoa was found highest in monsoon (97.38%) and lowest in winter (46.13%). The present study provides systematic data on haemoparasite infection in cattle.