Anaplasmosis

Definition
• Arthropod-borne disease of cattle (and shoats)
• Caused by A. marginale and A. centrale
• Characterised by fever, progressive anaemia and icterus
 Aetiology
A. marginale
• A. marginale more virulent
• A. centrale causes mild
disease
• In Giemsa stains, appear as
dense deep-purple
• Roundish in shape
A. centrale
• A. marginale usually located
marginally in RBCs
• A. centrale located usually
centrally
 Life cycle
• Complete cycle in mature
RBCs
• Initial bodies in parasitised
cells invade new RBCs
• Undergo binary fission
• Binary fission leads to
formation of 4-8 inclusion
bodies
• Cycle in ticks complex and
not well known
 Epizootiology
• Distribution
• Worldwide, Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia, America
• Susceptibility
• Mainly cattle of any age, breed
• Some cattle become carriers with low levels of parasitaemia
• Wild ruminants can be carriers but importance??
• Bos indicus more resistant that Bos taurus
 Epizootiology
• Transmission
• Over 20 Ixodid and Argasid ticks
• Main ticks are Rhipicephalus spp
• Biting flies involved mechanically e.g. Tabanids, Stomoxys
• Mechanical transmission important after tick introduction
• Close association of cattle e.g. feedlots risk factor
• Intrauterine transmission
• Iatrogenic
 Epizootiology
• Endemic state
• Calves less than 6 months resistant to clinical disease
• Natural infection of all animals at calfhood will ensure
endemic stability
• Flactuating vector populations and limited resevoirs lead to
instability
• Areas marginal to vector populations lead to instability
• Calfhood vaccination can assist endemicity
 Pathogenesis
• Prepatent period of 3-5 wks
• Intensity of parasitaemia and anaemia depends on age of
animal
• Extensive erythrophagocytophilia
• Erythrocytes are physically and chemically altered removed by
the RE system
• Destruction of RBCs results also due to autoantibodies
• Animals may lose up to 70 % of RBC
• Recrudence may occur
 Clinical signs
• Severity depends on age of animal
• Subclinical (<1yr), moderately severe (1-2yr) and severe
others
• Peracute form
• Most severe and usually fatal
• Severe anaemia
• Irrational behaviour, CNS signs
• Excessive salivation, increased respiratory rate
 Clinical signs continued
• Acute
• Fever
• Pale mm
• Depression, inappetance, decreased milk production
• Generalised weakness
• Constipation, ruminal stasis
• Diarrhea occasionally, faeces may be blood stained
• Aggressive behaviour
• Icterus; indicates end of acute phase
 Clinical signs continued
• Chronic
• Poor appetite
• Weight loss
• Dehydration
• Anaemia, icterus
• Temporary infertility in
bulls, anaestrus
• Abortions
• Mortality rate can be over
50 %
 Pathology/Necropsy
• Anaemia
• Icterus
• Splenomegaly,
hepatomegaly
• Lymph node enlargement
• Emaciation
• Serous fat atrophy
• Liver discoloration (Y-B)
• Distended gall bladder
• Dry omasal contents
 Differential diagnosis
• Babesiosis
• Trypanosomiasis
• Leptospirosis
• Bacillary haemoglobinuria
• Chronic Cu poisoning
• Heartwater
• Cerebral theileriosis
• Rabies
• Lead poisoning
 Diagnosis
• Clinical examination and necropsy
• Microscopy,
• Giemsa stain, thin film
• Serology
• CF, card agglutination test, ELISA,IFA
• PCR
• Serological and PCR tests can also ID carriers
 Treatment
• Specific treatment
• Get rid of parasitaemia
• Tetracyclines LA and SA
• Tetracyclines do not sterilise animals
• I.M. or I.V.
• Imizol 2-5 mg/kg (2.5 mg/kg best) I.M. or Subcut
• Supportive treatment
• Alleviate complications
• Blood transfusion (not when icteric or fractious)
• Vit B, laxatives
 Control
• Exploit endemic stability/tick control
• Vaccination
• Chemoprophylaxis
• Give tetracyclines,Imizol at 3-4 weeks intervals during risk
period
• Give for a further two months after risk period
• Chemosterilisation
• Not always successful or encouraged
• Tetracycles given daily for 10/fortnightly days SA/LA
• Imizol fortnightly at 4-5mg/kg (toxicity?)