DPT 511 - Production animals

Bovine Pathology Case studies 2021

Instructions

1. Provide one or more morphological diagnosis

2. Provide an aetiological diagnosis or develop a list of differential diagnosis – to know what samples to focus on
3. List key epidemiological features for the diagnosis or each of the DD’s
4. List the specimens to be collected and diagnostic tests to be performed to confirm a diagnosis for each DD.
What is normal and abnormal and the lesions

Case 2 – Anaplasmosis

Non- regenerative anaemia

- affecting the bone marrow

Regenerative anaemia

- animal is haemorrhaging or over a long period time like a gastric ulcer

Blood smear of an animal
Red blood cells
- with marked anisocytosis – cells which are big and have different
staining (polychromasia) – hall mark of reticulocytes – animal is
suffering from anaemia – which is present on the red blood cell
and it is regenerative
- ruminants with anaemia are responding
- anaemic animals can be haemolytic or haemorrhagic when it is
regenerative -> pattern of red blood cells
- or a haemolytic condition
- notice the red blood cells first
Red blood cells
- dark, purple black and very round structures or inclusions that seem to be close to the margin
of the red blood cell membrane – Hall mark of anaplasmosis – Anaplasmosis Marginale
- when you see many of the dots and you have an evidence of anaemia
(REMEMBER – you need to be careful and think about the calves – if you do a blood smear of a
calf in the pre-weaning age – this animal is not anaemic and there is no reticulocytosis and is
happy and jumping and has no fever – then you will be going in the wrong direction if you call
it clinical anaplasmosis!!!)

So, clinical anaplasmosis is present in the blood smear (as reticulocytes

are seen- INDICATIVE of anaemia) and the classic morphology of the
organisms of Anaplasma Marginale

- a bacterium that sits on the surface of the red blood cell

membranes
- you get others that gravitate towards the centre of the red
bloods cells (remember that RBC have a biconcave disc) –
anaplasma is found in the centre – Anaplasma centrale (LESS
PATHOGENIC STRAIN)
- Anaplasma Marginale – more PATHOGENIC
- Anaplasma Centrale – the blood vaccine is made from it, there is May have other reasons for black spots in RBCS
a stabiliser that is used -if you get a blood smear like this and you unsure of if it is anaplasma or is it something else

If there are larger numbers in 1 red blood cells – get the right
interpretation
Back to the above blood smear with the Anaplasma parasites
Epidemiological
Vector borne diseases
- (Tick -Rhicephalus evertsi evertsi – Red legged tick
- Rhipicephalus decolaratus and microplus)
- mechanically transmitted through biting flies
- Anaplasma can be transmitted to tick free environments –
outbreaks in total mixed ration/feedlot and dairy, intensive
conditions – ticks can not be in this environment, but biting flies
are present (Stomoxys) – can bite and transfer and plays a role
DD for Anaplasmosis on blood smears is important and can be confused as:
Stain deposits
- stains used for diff quick – stain deposits can resemble organisms like anaplasma
Howell jolly bodies
- Retained pieces of DNA from the division of RBC, not seen in some species like horses
- but here it can be prominent and should not be in large numbers and are considered in being
single
- they are often do not stain dark black as anaplasma, they are more purple and are rare
Basophilic stippling
- can happen in animals and can have a pathological significance
- arrogates of ribosomes from premature release of RBC from the bone marrows
- can be a result of lead poisoning – DD in a ruminant with stippling
- lots of it is lead poisoning
- and highly regenerative conditions can occur with it

Seasonal pattern
CS – for a haemolytic condition (DD – theileria and babesia)
Fever, icterus and icteric

Another DD for this condition

 - east coast fever / theileriosis/ corridor disease
-all haemolytic disease and are extravascular diseases

Blood smear is the key diagnostic feature

At PM
- theileria, babesia and anaplasma can be confuses for each other
- if you have urine then it is easy
- so, blood smear is key

PM Consistency of red pulp hyperplasia can be a differentiating feature – pulpiness versus meatiness
(Theory out there)
- Just like case 1- babesia Anaplasma (extra vascular hemolytic disease)
- Clear icteric change on the mucus membranes and serosa - meatiness of the spleen
changes on the animal - if you cut into it, it will bulge, and red pulp hyperplasia is present
- Enlarged spleen - there is no oozing of blood
- Animal is anaemic - meaty feel and hard
(All 3 are KEY factors for haemolytic conditions) - no loose bits of red blood cells as its extravascular and not intravascular haemolysis – so, the
macrophages retain its structure and doesn’t ooze and sticks to the splenic sinuses and gives it a
Anaplasmosis compared to babesiosis meaty consistency
Babesia
- Babesiosis –intravascular haemolysis
- pulpy consistency
The urine presents as haemoglobinuria - oozing of blood
- Anaplasmosis – extravascular haemolytic disease - loose bits of red blood cells which are not being phagocytosed which is added to the consistency
No haemoglobinuria of the splenic red pulp
If no urine present on PM in the urinary bladder, then you need to look Dr Steyls experience
at your blood smear to help you out - difficult to differentiate
- so rather go on other signs
Diagnosis

- Molecular tests of the spleen (be careful, similar to babesia – be

careful how you make your interpretation of the results coming
back)
- No real indication to take samples for histopathology – except
the kidneys to rule out intravascular and extravascular
haemolysis
- PM plus the Blood smear is key for diagnosis

Bovine Pathology Case studies 2021
Instructions
5. Provide one or more morphological diagnosis
6. Provide an aetiological diagnosis or develop a list of differential diagnosis – to know what samples to focus on
7. List key epidemiological features for the diagnosis or each of the DD’s
8. List the specimens to be collected and diagnostic tests to be performed to confirm a diagnosis for each DD.
What is normal and abnormal and the lesions
Case 3 – Theileriosis
Theileriosis – east coast fever/corridor disease
PM
- Extravascular haemolytic disease – like Anaplasmosis
- Similar signs at PM – no haemoglobinuria
- Enlarged meaty spleen and icteric
- Differential diagnosis will be the blood smear
We do not expect to find it, but you need to know how to diagnose it
DPT 511 - Production animals
Differences between the 2 Theileria (East coast fever and Corridor disease)
Corridor disease – buffalo associated
- Cape buffalo the carrier of Theileria Parva in nature
- Areas with buffalos – rest of SA and Kruger
Why is it NB to know the areas that is dangerous around them?
- Cleaning of the country occurred, since the ticks do not transmit to eggs and larvae of the ticks
– no transovarial transmission
- The government then implemented controlled areas of buffalo and was kept that way and with
cattle they wanted to get free from theileria
Vector Rhipicephalus appendiculatus (brown ear tick) or R. Zambeziensis
- Government cleared the farms of cattle and buffalo and moved the buffalo to areas
Infected cattle were slaughtered, and farms were laid fallow for 2 years
Why 2 years?
- 2 years is enough that any surviving adults (survive 18 months without a blood meal), but then
they die
- adults are the only ones infected and when they died the larvae that come in, will be clean free
from the parasite
- so, the tick vector remained and there were no carrier animals (buffalo/cattle) in which they can

- Clear icterus that is evident in the carcass
- Multiple areas of petechiae and ecchymosis in the carcass – this
is due to circulating as part of the theirleria disease complex – the
infective lymphoblasts which release their contents (lymphocytes
and macrophages – contain toxic stuff) -> injury to blood vessels
-> petechiation that is associated
Not seen in anaplasma and babesia – where there is only
piroplasmic stages and not lymphocytic stages that is present
- Lymphocytic stages is possible for theileria manifestation
feed on – so ticks did not disappear, but the infection for ticks disappeared – so no carrier
This is what will happen if you have diagnosed Theileria
- The state vet will quarantine your farm for 2 years with no cattle, can be other species other
than cattle and buffalo
- Then the ticks that are there will be negative – ticks won’t disappear, but infection will
disappear (Can’t be done with babesia)
- Ticks were cleared and corridor free status
Corridor disease
- Buffalo associated
- Then there was another condition in which cattle was recovered from the disease and they were
treated with a drug that treats it
(Problem with drug is that the cattle will become asymptomatic carriers and will infect the tick
population) – that is why this drug is not in SA and is banned as we do not want farmers to treat
animals with theileria – thus we want to ID them and die and then quarantine the farm and keep
the farms free from disease
- Treatment – tick population infected, and cattle infected
- Condition tried to be eradicated
Corridor disease (buffalo associated)/Theileria parva lawtensia and the East Coast disease (Cattle
associated)/Theileria parva
- No difference
- There may be different strains and with different pathogenicties in cattle and buffalo
- Chronic forms – manifested with haemolysis and icterus – east coast
- Per-acute/acute condition with death by lung oedema – corridor
- (BUT WE DO NOT DIFFERENTIATE THEM ANYMORE – NOTE THAT)
Parasites multiply
Just before the leucocyte dies -> micro schizont
The parasite multiples in the cells -> divides into Micro schizonts -> cell ruptures -> Micro schizonts
infect the red blood cells in the form of piroplasm’s

Diagnosis
- Blood smear is key
- Haemoprotozoal conditions
Diagram presentation present
- Shows differences and what you need to find
- Key thing to find at low magnification – presence of
mononuclear leucocytes – round nuclei, but not completely
round, but are atypical and resemble neoplastic leucocytes
(mononuclear leucocytes – macrophages and lymphocytes)
- Literature – will show just lymphocytes, but macrophages too
- Lymphocytes that become pleomorphic and neoplastic –
leukemic reaction seen
- If you look at the cytoplasm of transformed leucocytes –
inclusions in cytoplasm (schizonts, cocks bodies) – forming
packets (not typical for ehrlichiosis), they contain a blue
cytoplasm (not in this picture)
- Macro and micro schizont forms)
Piroplasm morphology
- Smaller than babesia
- Elongated and not round
- Nappy pin looking and can be comma shaped
- Cytoplasm is white and there is no blue appearance
- Hall mark features – nappy pin or comma shapes in red blood cells – pleomorphic changes
- Babesia – monomorphic morphology - all the same features
- Common on blood smears and you are likely to find in blood smears and will not be in high
numbers with benign theileria (game and sheep)
Does not mean the animal is sick if piroplasm in the red blood cells
Clinical Theileria is ONLY SEEN:
- Lymphoblastoid
Within it you will have the cocks’ bodies/ schizonts – hall mark features for clinical disease and
not the primo plasms
East coast fever stages
- Schizonts will be rare and there will be more piroplasm’s
- More chronic and long-lived stage (corridor disease – early stage with lots of schizonts and few
piroplasm’s)

Blood smear that is showing blue cytoplasm surrounding schizonts and
cocks’ bodies
- Cells affected is pleomorphic lymphocytes/lymphoblasts
- Red blood cells – comma shaped piroplasm’s in rare numbers
You cannot distinguish between theileria species – you need to
do MOLECULAR tests/PCR – will tell you what species you are
dealing with
-it will not tell you that you are dealing with a disease, you need
to see CS
Buffalo associated theileria
- Period between 2003/2004/12, where farmers raised buffalo in captivity with disease free
- Buffalo cleaned with management and blood processes and are now free from theileria
- Buffalo run around – out of Kruger – valuable more
- Animals have the same situation as the calves exposed at a young age, they do not show clinical
disease and become immune and don’t show signs
- Cows in bomas and are tick free in the conditions and there is no ticks and calves at weaning
age were tested and found to be negative from disease and can get exposed to ticks, but will not
get infected
- Disease free buffalo scheme
4 dreaded diseases of buffalo, that can pose a risk to cattle farmers
- FMCV
- Theileria – corridor disease
- TB
- Brucella
Animals are regularly tested for and should be tested for on farms which have them.