Theileria infectivity ofHyalomma ticks in Haryana, India

Abstract

Theileria infection of Hyalomma ticks collected from three districts of Haryana was assessed in whole salivary glands by the methyl-green pyronin staining method. Of 1,662 ticks screened, 546 (32.8%) were found Theileria positive. Infection rate in 935 female ticks (36.9%) was more than that of 727 male ticks (27.6%). Density of Theileria infection (number of infected acini per infected tick) was also higher in female ticks. Theileria infection rate of ticks varied greatly in the three districts viz. only 12.0% in Rohtak, 25.8% in Hisar and 48.3% in Karnal. Per cent infection rate was high (63.7%) in ticks from indigenous cattle and low (18.6%) in those collected from buffaloes. However, the intensity of infection in infected ticks from cross-bred cattle was comparatively much higher. Frequency distribution of Theileria positive acini in infected ticks revealed a low density of infection per infected tick. This points to the largely stable endemic situation prevailing in Haryana. Only a single salivary acinus was found infected in 16.6% of the infected ticks, about 70% had up to 10 infected acini while only about 10% had over 25 infected acini per tick. The masses in acini presumed to be Theileria were confirmed by demonstrating parasitic masses on staining one of a pair of salivary glands and inoculating the suspension of the other half of the gland into two cross-bred cow calves which developed clinical signs and lesions typical of theileriosis.

Prevalence of Theileria annulata infection in Hyalomma anatolicum anatolicum in Punjab state, India

“…The prevalence, abundance and intensity of Theileria infection in H. a. anatolicum collected from cattle were 15.15%, 5.38 and 35.53 whereas in those collected from buffaloes were 9.58%, 1.74 and 18.13, respectively (Table 1). The prevalence, abundance and intensity of Theileria annulata sporoblast in H. a. anatolicum ticks collected form cattle were higher than in those ticks collected from buffalo and was also reported earlier by Sangwan et al (1986). This finding attribute to the fact that the cross bred cattle are at a high risk and a preferred host of bovine tropical theileriosis as compared to buffaloes.…”

“…Detection of Theileria sporoblast in the salivary gland of H. a. anatolicum has been carried out by various staining techniques by several workers (Blewett and Branagan 1973;Walker et al 1979Walker et al , 1981Leitch and Young 1981;Buscher and Tangus 1986) for epidemiological studies. However, in India only limited work has been carried out in Haryana (Sangwan et al 1986), Uttar Pradesh (Das and Ray 2003) but no such study has been conducted in Punjab state. The detection of Theileria infection rates and intensity in the vector ticks is an important component in the study of epidemiology as it quantifies the flow of infection in nature.…”

Pathological effects and reduced survival in Rhipicephalus appendiculatus ticks infected with Theileria parva protozoa

“…Boophilus decoloratus infected with Babesia bigemina (Gray 1982) and Hyalomma excavatum anatolicum infected with Theileria annulata (Schein and Friedho 1978) both suer reduced survival as a result of infection with the protozoa. High prevalences of natural infection of H. anatolicum anatolicum have been found to be very intense (Sangwan et al 1986;Walker et al 1983) and we ®nd that similar abundances of infection in laboratory ticks causes reduction in size and eectiveness of tick salivary glands (E. Kirvar, personal communication). The epidemiological signi®cance of such phenomena is the eect they could have on the combination of the ticks' susceptibility to infection with Theileria and the numbers of ticks available to infest cattle.…”