Prevalence and chemotherapy of babesiosis among Lohi sheep in the Livestock Experiment Station, Qadirabad, Pakistan, and environs

• Published in: Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases
• Main Authors: A Rashid, JA Khan, MS Khan, K Rasheed, A Maqbool, J Iqbal
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: SciELO 2010
• Subjects: babesiosis; sheep; hemoglobin; hematocrit; diminazene; imidocarb; Pakistan; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Toxicology. Poisons; RA1190-1270; Zoology; QL1-991; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1590/S1678-91992010000400008; https://doaj.org/article/3fe166ff6c3d4d64b03fee501f77a9ab

A total of 310 blood smears were collected from sheep of the Livestock Experiment Station, Qadirabad, Sahiwal district, Pakistan, and surrounding areas. The samples were examined microscopically and 30 (9.67%) were positive for babesiosis. The animals were divided into two groups (A and B) for chemotherapy. Group A sheep were treated with diminazene diaceturate while group B animals received imidocarb dipropionate. Drug efficacy was determined by negative blood smear examination. Diminazene diaceturate effectiveness against babesiosis was 80% while that of imidocarb dipropionate was 100%. Hematological studies revealed a significant decrease in hemoglobin concentrations and hematocrit values for Babesia-positive animals compared to healthy controls.