Authors : Seyyed Payman Ziapour, Behzad Esfandiari and Mohammad Reza Youssefi
Abstract: Babesiosis or Texas fever is a zoonotic, acute hemolytic and feverous disease that is more prevalent in domesticated animals and is transmitted by hard tick’s bite. Clinical diagnosis of this disease is hard and should be differentiated from other diseases such as leptospirosis and anaplasmosis. Aim of this study was to determine prevalence of this disease in Mazandaran province, north of Iran, during 2008. With the help of statistical consultant and after determining approximate number of livestock in province, several cities were selected and sampling was done. After recording characteristics of animals and farms, blood samples of different animals were stained with Gimsa method and then were evaluated by 100x lens. In this study mean contamination rate was 18.13% in cows, 16.03% in sheep and 22.27% in goats. Since diagnosis of babesiosis in many parts of Iran is done by clinical findings and peripheral blood smear and these methods often don’t seem to be exact and complete, it is suggested that first serologic diagnostic methods be used along with these methods. Educating farmers about ways of transmission of babesiosis and ways of defending against it can also be useful for fighting this disease.
Seyyed Payman Ziapour, Behzad Esfandiari and Mohammad Reza Youssefi, 2011. Study of the Prevalence of Babesiosis in Domesticated Animals with Suspected Signs in Mazandaran Province, North of Iran, During 2008. Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances, 10: 712-714.