clinicopatho-biochemical alterations associated with subclinical babesiosis in dairy animals

background : present investigation is based on the clinicopatho-biochemical alteration related to natural tick borne bovine babesiosis in punjab state. methods : blood samples from jugular vein of 542 bovines (cattle 466 and buffaloes 76) having history of tick in­festation, fever, hemoglobinurea or anemia were collected and tested for babesia bigemina by blood smear examina­tion and pcr targeting 18s rrna gene to distinguish clinically and subclinically infected groups. further the hemato-biochemical parameters were correlated with the status of infection. results: overall, of the 542 samples tested 16.42 % were positive by pcr while only 1.66 % by blood smear exami­nation. the trend of molecular prevalence was found to decrease from north-eastern towards western punjab. analy­sis of the hematobiochemical alterations showed significant decrease in the levels of rbc, hb, pcv, and mcv with significant increase in tbil, mch and mchc levels. conclusion: as the transmission of b. bigemina is transovarian, presence of even few infected rhipicephalus ( booph­ilus ) microplus ticks on a subclinically infection can be the nidus of infection for whole herd, causing severe economic losses, at the same time significantly affecting the physiology of carrier animal.