Hematological Changes Associated with Theileria orientalis Infection in Korean Indigenous Cattle.
10.3347/kjp.2017.55.5.481
- Author:
Suhee KIM
1
;
Do Hyeon YU
;
Sung Woo KANG
;
Jeong Byoung CHAE
;
Kyoung Seong CHOI
;
Hyeon Cheol KIM
;
Bae Keun PARK
;
Joon Seok CHAE
;
Jinho PARK
Author Information
1. National Institute of Animal Science, Rural Development Administration, Wanju 55365, Korea.
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Theileria orientalis;
grazing;
Hanwoo cattle;
RBC profile;
tick-borne pathogen
- MeSH:
Animals;
Cattle*;
Erythrocytes;
Hematocrit;
Korea;
Prevalence;
Republic of Korea;
Seasons;
Theileria*;
Tick-Borne Diseases
- From:The Korean Journal of Parasitology
2017;55(5):481-489
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
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.
