Background Bovine babesiosis, commonly known as redwater fever, is a sporadic tick-borne disease in the United Kingdom. Outbreaks occur during the spring, summer and autumn months when ticks are active. This study reports the findings of an investigation of an outbreak of bovine babesiosis during the winter month of February, 2019. Methods DNA from blood, organ and tick samples taken from affected cattle were tested for the presence of piroplasm and Anaplasma phagocytophilum DNA using PCRs directed to the 18S rRNA gene and msp2 gene respectively. The species of piroplasm was confirmed by sequencing. Results Babesia divergens DNA was detected in the blood of five cattle displaying clinical signs of babesiosis within a herd of twenty. This parasite was also detected in three of ten ticks removed from one of the affected cattle. In addition, A. phagocytophilum was detected in three cattle tested and two of ten of the ticks. Conclusions An outbreak of bovine babesiosis during February is unusual as the tick vector, Ixodes ricinus, does not generally become active until temperatures rise later in the year. February of 2019 was unusual as average temperatures during the first week of the month reached over 10 °C, well above historical averages that are typically below 5 °C, and a temperature at which ticks can become active. This unusual weather event is likely to have triggered tick questing, that combined with a co-infection with two tick-borne pathogens caused the severe outbreak of disease.

In April 2020, animals in a herd of 180 dairy cows began displaying pyrexia, milk drop and condition loss. Some animals aborted while others developed anaemia and redcoloured urine. Copious ticks were noted on affected animals. Blood smear examination performed on sick animals detected piroplasms within erythrocytes, and a panpiroplasm PCR and sequencing confirmed the presence of Babesia divergens. Further PCR testing detected Anaplasma phagocytophilum in some of the animals. In a number of animals, co-infection with both pathogens was demonstrated. A range of control measures were implemented with varying levels of success, and clinical cases continued until winter housing of cows in November. A total of 61 animals were affected. The main contributory factor in this case was likely buying in of large numbers of naïve animals into an endemic tick area. Co-infection also potentially increased severity of disease. The difficulties in controlling this outbreak are discussed. CASE PRESENTATIONThis outbreak occurred in a milking cow dairy herd with 180 Holstein-Friesian animals, located near Bodmin Moor in Vet Rec Case Rep.

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Anaplasma phagocytophilum (A. phagocytophilum) is the aetiological agent of tick-borne fever in cattle and sheep, and granulocytic anaplasmosis in human and dogs. Livestock, companion animal and human infections with A. phagocytophilum have been reported globally. Across England and Wales, two isolates (called ecotypes) have been reported in ticks. This study examined A. phagocytophilum isolates present in livestock and wildlife in Great Britain (GB), with a particular focus on cattle. Clinical submissions (EDTA blood) from cattle (n = 21) and sheep (n = 3) were received by APHA for tick-borne disease testing and the animals were confirmed to be infected with A. phagocytophilum using a PCR targeting the Msp2 gene. Further submissions from roe deer (n = 2), red deer (n = 2) and Ixodes ricinus ticks (n = 22) were also shown to be infected with A. phagocytophilum. Subsequent analysis using a nested PCR targeting the groEL gene and sequencing confirmed the presence of ecotype I in cattle, sheep, red deer and Ixodes ricinus, and ecotype II in roe deer and I. ricinus removed from deer carcasses. Despite the presence of two ecotypes, widely distributed in ticks from England and Wales, only ecotype I was detected in cattle in this study.

We describe here two cases of pulmonary neoplasia in alpacas: case 1 was a 19‐year‐old female huacaya alpaca that was submitted to investigate sudden death with possible previous weight loss. Gross and histological examination revealed changes consistent with primary lepidic‐type pulmonary adenocarcinoma (previously bronchioalveolar carcinoma) with metastases to the thorax and abdomen. Case 2 was a six‐year‐old male castrated Suri alpaca with a 3‐week history of weight loss and inappetance that was euthanased following a short period of recumbency and respiratory signs. Gross and histological features in this case were consistent with a diagnosis of metastatic adenocarcinoma affecting the lungs and lymph nodes. Masses from both alpacas were further characterised using immunohistochemistry for thyroid transcription factor 1 (TTF‐1), pan cytokeratin AE1/AE3 and vimentin. We show that histological subtype and TTF‐1 and AE1/AE3 immunoreactivity can be used to differentiate primary and metastatic pulmonary adenocarcinomas in the lungs of alpacas.

Anaplasma phagocytophilum (A. phagocytophilum) is the aetiological organism of tick-borne fever in cattle and sheep, and granulocytic anaplasmosis in dogs and human. Reports of livestock and wildlife infection and associated zoonotic risk of human infection with A. phagocytophilum have been reported across the world. A previous study has reported two strains, also called ecotypes, in ticks collected from across England and Wales. This study examined A. phagocytophilum strains present in livestock and wildlife in Great Britain (GBR), with a particular focus on cattle. Clinical submissions (EDTA blood) from livestock were received by APHA for tick-borne disease testing. Of these 24 (cattle: n = 21; sheep: n = 3) were confirmed to be infected with A. phagocytophilum using a PCR targeting the msp2 gene. Further submissions from roe deer (n = 2), red deer (n = 2) and Ixodes ricinus ticks (n = 22) were also shown to be infected with A. phagocytophilum. Subsequent analysis using a nested PCR targeting the groEL gene and sequencing, confirmed the presence of ecotype I in cattle, sheep, red deer and Ixodes ricinus, and ecotype II in roe deer and I. ricinus ticks removed from the deer carcass. Despite the presence of two ecotypes, widely distributed in ticks from England and Wales, only ecotype I was detected in cattle in this study.

Babesia divergens is a zoonotic piroplasm that infects both cattle and humans in Europe. Disease transmission occurs through Ixodes ricinus tick bites, a species that is increasing in abundance and distribution across Europe in response to climate and land-use changes. Developments in agri-environment policy and changing consumer demands may also have unintended consequences on tick-borne disease rates. Currently, B. divergens surveillance in British cattle is limited, rendering temporal trend analysis and the detection of potential zoonotic hotspots impossible. The objective of this study was to assess syndromic surveillance as a means of determining babesiosis distribution in British cattle, and to evaluate the intrinsic disease risk factors in order to respond to disease threats posed by changing environments. Samples from 95 clinically affected cattle on 70 unique holdings were screened for Babesia spp., using established blood smear examination techniques and a B. divergens-specific PCR method, between April and December 2021. B. divergens was detected in 45/95 animals (47.4%), with PCR offering the advantage of identification at species level. Infection with Anaplasma phagocytophilum was detected in 19/95 animals (20%). Co-infection was detected in five animals. The cases were recorded across multiple geographic regions and throughout the sampling period. Univariate logistic regression analysis failed to identify any statistically significant risk factors for B. divergens presence. This study demonstrates that bovine babesiosis is geographically widespread throughout England and Wales, placing a large proportion of the cattle population at risk of infection, with the potential for zoonotic transmission to humans.