Short communication Clinical, haematological and therapeutic studies on tropical theileriosis in water buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) in Egypt Salama A. Osman * , Magdy H. Al-Gaabary Department of Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kafr El-Sheikh University, Kafr El-Sheikh 33516, Egypt Received 4 January 2007; received in revised form 8 March 2007; accepted 13 March 2007 Abstract Thirty buffaloes naturally infected with Theileria annulata and 10 parasitologically free controls were used to determine the potential clinical, haematological and therapeutic impact of tropical theileriosis in Egypt. The clinical signs in the infected buffaloes were pyrexia (40.5–41.5 8C), enlargement of superficial lymph nodes, slight nasal and ocular discharges, salivation, anaemia and respiratory distress. Eye lesions also were recorded. There was a significant decrease in erythrocyte counts and haemoglobin content and a significant decrease in total leucocyte counts in infected buffaloes compared to controls. Early treatment with buparvaquone was 100% effective in eliminating the protozoan parasites from the blood and lymph nodes and led to an improvement in the clinical state whereas treatment in the later stages of the disease whilst eliminating the parasites failed to improve the clinical condition of the animal. # 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. Keywords: Tropical theileriosis; Theileria annulata; Buffaloes; Signs; Haematology; Treatment Bovine tropical theileriosis is a tick-borne disease caused by the protozoan parasite Theileria annulata. In Egypt, the disease is considered to be one of the most destructive obstacles to livestock production (Al- Gaabary, 1995). The diagnosis of theileriosis in acute cases is mainly based on clinical findings and microscopic examination of Giemsa stained thin blood and lymph node smears. However, expertise in piroplasm microscopy is required in subclinical or chronic infections because parasitaemias are often extremely low and may otherwise be missed (Aktas et al., 2006). The disease and its severity not only depend on the virulence of the causative agent, but also to a large extent on the degree of host susceptibility, which largely depends on the breed. At Kafr El Sheikh Province, Egypt, 30 Theileria annulata naturally infected buffaloes (Figs. 1 and 2) and 10 parasitologically free controls were selected and carefully examined clinically. Considerable variation was noticed in the clinical signs of the infected buffaloes according to the stage of infection. In the early stage of infection, pyrexia (40.5– 41.5 8C), anorexia, enlargement of superficial lymph nodes (parotid, prescapular and prefemoral), slight nasal and ocular discharges with congestion of conjunctiva and salivation were the most common signs. Constipation was recorded in some cases later turning to tarry diarrhoea, with pale mucous membranes, milky infiltra- tion of the cornea (Fig. 3) and respiratory distress in the form of dyspnoea, coughing and evidence of pulmonary oedema. Two buffaloes showed nervous manifestations in the form of hyperesthesia, head pressing, convulsions, tremors and paddling prior to death. Similar signs had been recorded previously by Al-Gaabary (1991) in which death occurred in six late-treated buffaloes. Death may www.elsevier.com/locate/vetpar Veterinary Parasitology 146 (2007) 337–340 * Corresponding author. Tel.: +20 47 3600273; fax: +20 47 3231311. E-mail address: salama2068@yahoo.com (S.A. Osman). 0304-4017/$ – see front matter # 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.vetpar.2007.03.012