Theileriosis/Bovine Theileriosis


Introduction

⇒ Bovine theileriosis is a protozoal, tick-borne, diseases, characterized by fever, hemolytic anemia, and jaundice

⇒ Bovine Theileriosis is OIE listed diseases

⇒ Two diseases

East Coast Fever (east and central Africa)

Tropical Theileriosis (North Africa and central Asia) 

Synonyms

⇒ Corridor Disease,

⇒ January Disease

Etiology

⇒ Order: - Piroplasmida

⇒ Family: - Theileriidae

⇒ Genus: - Theileria

⇒ Species: - 2 most important species

                   Theileria annulata (Tropical Theileriosis)

                   Theileria parva (East Coast Fever)

⇒ Horses:-Theileria equi (formerly Babesia equi)

⇒ Cattle:-Theileria annulata, Theileria buffeli, T. parva

⇒ Sheep and goats:-Theileria lestoquardi (formerly Theileria hirci)

Host

⇒ Theileria parva: Cattle; African buffalo; Water buffalo

⇒ Theileria annulata: Cattle; Yaks; Water buffalo; Camels

⇒ Indignons zebu cattle (Bas indicus) have resistance to the disease

⇒ Recovered animals show a solid, long-lasting immunity, but they remain as carriers

Transmission

⇒ Theileria parva:

    Ticks Rhipicephalus appendiculatus and other Rhipicephalus (ear is the preferred feeding site)

⇒ Theileria annulata

    Transstadially by the three-host tick Hyalomma anatolicum

Iatrogenic transmission can also occur through the blood (e.g., on re-used needles).


Just for information

⇒ Zoite—a motile, banana- or cigar shaped cell, rounded at one end and pointed at the other (apical) end

⇒ Tachyzoites: divide rapidly

⇒ Bradyzoites: divide slowly

⇒ Trophozoites: ring stage/ growing stage in the life cycle

⇒ Sporozoites: Infective forms found in sporulated oocysts

⇒ Schizogony (synonym, merogony): Process of asexual reproduction during which the nucleus undergoes division preceding cell division.

⇒ Schizont. : here multinucleated sporozoan (as a malaria parasite) that reproduces by schizogony

⇒ Schizogony that produces daughter cells it is also known as merozoites, which can develop in to gametocytes or enter new host cells and undergo another cycle of schizogony.

⇒ Gametocytes derived from merozoites, are cells that are capable of developing into gametes

 

Pathogenesis

Infected Ticks Feeding On The Host And  Transmit Sporozoites Within Their Saliva

Sporozoites Enter Lymphocytes (T. Parva) And Macrophages (T. Annulata)

Infected Lymphocytes Are Transformed Into Lymphoblastic

Macroschizonts Develop In The Cytoplasm Of The Transformed Cells

Infected Cells Proliferate, Dividing Synchronously With Macroschizonts To Infect Daughter Cells (Clonal Expansion)

Schizont Infected Cells Multiply In The Lymph Nodes And Disseminate Rapidly In Tissue Like Liver, Kidney, Lung, Abomasum, And Brain

Macroschizonts Enter The Microschizont Stage And Infected Cells  Destroyed

Merozoites Released And Invade And Parasitize Erythrocytes (As Piroplasms)

Possible Mechanisms Of Anemia In Theileriosis Include

Invasion Of Erythroid Precursors By Merozoite Stages And Fission Of The Piroplasm Forms In Erythrocytes

Associated Erythroid Hypoplasia (As Occurs With T. Parva Infection)

Immune-Mediated Hemolysis

Mechanical Fragmentation Because Of Vasculitis Or Microthrombi

Enzymatic Destruction By Proteases

Oxidative Damage

In The Acute Phase Of The Disease, More Than 60% Of Lymphocytes May Contain Schizonts, Also Called Koch’s Bodies Or Koch’s Blue Bodies(KBB).

⇒ Lysis Of Lymphocytes And Rbcs Induce Leukocytopenia And Anemia

⇒ In T.Parva Infection Parasitized Lymphocytes Localize By Embolism Or Sequestration In Cerebrospinal Vessels And Produce Hemorrhagic Infarcts Produced Nervous  Signs Like Circling, Hence Also Known As 'Turning  Sickness' Or Cerebral Theileriosis

Clinical Signs

⇒ Incubation Period: 1 To 3 Weeks

⇒ Enlargement of Lymph Nodes ( Prescapular lymph node)

⇒ Fever, Depression, Dehydration

⇒ Anemia – Watery Blood; Pale Mucus Membrane

⇒ IcterusAnorexia

⇒ Nasal and Ocular Discharge, Corneal Opacity

⇒ Hemoglobinuria(Theileria annulata)

⇒ Splenomegaly with Diarrhaea,

⇒ Turning Sickness: Circling In Affected Cattle

⇒ Death

Clinical Pathology

⇒ Piroplasms In Erythrocytes

⇒ Schizonts In Lymphocytes

⇒ Leukocytopenia

⇒ Thrombocytopenia


  Macroscopic Pathology

⇒ Enlargement of lymphoid tissues with hemorrhages in cortex

⇒ Cerebrum

Acute: Multifocal infarcts, meningocerebral congestion, hemorrhage, and  thrombosis, yellowish discoloration of brain, intraventricular hemorrhage

Chronic: Resorption of necrotic tissue  results in intracerebral cystic spaces

⇒ Splenomegaly in acute cases; shrunken spleen with chronicity

⇒ Ulcerative abomasitis; erosive or catarrhal enteritis

⇒ Small gray-white patches (“pseudo-infarcts”) on surface of liver and kidney that bulge slightly (proliferative foci of perivascular lymphocytes)

⇒ Severe pulmonary edema and congestion; copious froth in airways; hydrothorax and hydropericardium



Microscopic pathology

⇒ Lymphoid organs: In early stages, there is diffuse lymphoid hyperplasia; with progression, there is a general loss of small lymphocytes which are replaced by numerous parasitized lymphoblasts containing intracytoplasmic schizonts (Koch’s blue bodies)

⇒ In terminal stages, there is widespread, prominent lymphocytolysis, especially within germinal centers that is accompanied by hemorrhage and fibrinous exudate within the cortex of lymph nodes

Lymphocytic infiltrates in liver and kidney

⇒ Lung: Severe pulmonary edema and lymphoid infiltration of the alveolar septa

⇒ Bone marrow: In terminal stages, marrow is hypoplastic, and the remaining cells consist of parasitized, blastic lymphocytes

⇒ Turning sickness: Hemorrhagic infarcts in brain and spinal cord due to thrombi containing parasitized lymphocytes


Diagnosis

⇒ Blood smear examination

⇒ Lymph node aspirate examination

⇒ PCR

⇒ ELISA

⇒ Indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA) tests

Treatment

⇒ Buparvaquone (2.5 mg/kg IM, 2 doses 48 hours apart)

⇒ Parvaquone (10 mg/kg IM 2 doses 48 hours apart)

⇒ Halofuginone lactate (1.2 mg/kg PO)

⇒ Oxytetracycline (20 mg/kg IM)

Control

⇒ Vaccination by infection and treatment method using tetracycline or parvaquone

⇒ Vaccination by infection with low pathogenicity isolate



References:

Pathologic Basis of Veterinary Disease Expert Consult

6th edition


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