Emerging trends of theileriosis in Pakistan

ABSTRACT

Theileriosis is a disease caused by protozoan parasites which belong to genus Theileria. It can be transmitted through ixodid ticks. Mostly the distribution of Theileria species are restricted to subtropical and tropical regions. Theileria species cause economically significant diseases in cattle, sheep, and goats in Pakistan by infecting domestic and wild ruminants. This is a neglected disease in Pakistan because limited research work has been done yet on it. Ovine theileriosis cases were recorded from published data from 2013-2016 in different geographic regions of Pakistan. The intensity and risk factors were also determined in KPK Province of Pakistan. Theleriosis have been reported from all over Pakistan during period 2013-2016. The prevalence of Theleria annulata in buffaloes ticks was 72.91% (875) in urban regions of Hyderabad and it was 80.8% (970) in periurban regions during period 2013-2014. In 2016, prevalence of ovine theileriosis in KPK districts was as 27.5% in Dera Ismail Khan, 13% in Tank and 19.5% in Bannu. It is concluded that paying close attention to animal keeping, feeding and housing may diminish the occurrence of theileriosis in sheep. The higher prevalence might be due to lack of awareness by the community, farming system of the rural livestock of, absence of diagnostic facilities, expensive acaricidal drugs and poor economic condition of farmers.