Korean J Parasitol.
2017 Oct;55(5):481-489. 10.3347/kjp.2017.55.5.481.
Hematological Changes Associated with Theileria orientalis Infection in Korean Indigenous Cattle
- Affiliations
-
- 1National Institute of Animal Science, Rural Development Administration, Wanju 55365, Korea.
- 2College of Veterinary Medicine, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52828, Korea.
- 3College of Veterinary Medicine, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, Korea.
- 4Laboratory of Veterinary Internal Medicine, BK21 PLUS Program for Creative Veterinary Science Research, Research Institute for Veterinary Science and College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea.
- 5College of Ecology and Environmental Science, Kyungpook National University, Sangju 37224, Korea.
- 6College of Veterinary Medicine, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Korea.
- 7College of Veterinary Medicine, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Korea.
- 8College of Veterinary Medicine, Chonbuk National University, Iksan 54596, Korea. jpark@jbnu.ac.kr
- KMID: 2395752
- DOI: http://doi.org/10.3347/kjp.2017.55.5.481
Abstract
- Tick-borne pathogens can cause serious problems in grazing cattle. However, little information is available on tick-mediated diseases in cattle grazing on mountains. Thus, this study aimed to understand the potential problems related to tick-borne diseases in grazing cattle through the investigation of prevalent tick-transmitted infections, and their associated hematological changes, in terms of season and grazing type in Korean indigenous cattle (=Hanwoo). Hanwoo cattle from 3 regions of the Republic of Korea (=Korea) were either maintained indoors or placed on grassy mountains from spring to fall of 2014 and 2015. Cattle that grazed in mountainous areas showed a greater prevalence of tick-borne infections with an increased Theileria orientalis infection rate (54.7%) compared to that in non-grazing cattle (16.3%) (P < 0.001). Accordingly, the red blood cell (RBC) count and hematocrit (HCT) values of grazing cattle were significantly lower than those of non-grazing cattle throughout the season (P < 0.05). Moreover, RBC, hemoglobin (Hb), and HCT of T. orientalis-positive group were significantly lower than those of T. orientalis-negative group (P < 0.05). T. orientalis is a widespread tick-borne pathogen in Korea. Grazing of cattle in mountainous areas is closely associated with an increase in T. orientalis infection (RR=3.4, P < 0.001), and with consequent decreases in RBC count and HCT. Thus, these findings suggest that the Hanwoo cattle in mountainous areas of Korea are at a high risk of infection by T. orientalis, which can lead to hematological alterations. This study highlights the necessity of preventive strategies that target T. orientalis infection.
- Full Text Links
-
- Actions
-
Cited
- CITED
-
- Close
- Share
-
- Similar articles
-
- Molecular phylogenetic studies on clinical bovine piroplasmosis caused by benign Theileria in Shaanxi Province, China
- Latitude and seasons influence the prevalence of Theileria orientalis and affect the hematology of non-grazed dairy cows in Korea
- Treatment of natural tropical theileriosis with the extract of the plant Peganum harmala
- The polymorphism of Theileria buffeli major surface protein associate with their clinical signs in holstein in Korea
- Antigenic diversity of Theileria major piroplasm surface protein gene in Jeju black cattle
