UTTAR PRADESH JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY

Haemoprotozoan infections are widely prevalent in livestock, with babesiosis regarded as second most haemoprotozoan disease of cattle in India. This paper presents a case of babesiosis in a 13-day-old crossbred female calf and its successful therapeutic management. The calf was brought to the Department of Veterinary Clinical Complex, Veterinary College, Bidar, with a history of anorexia for three days, constipation, and red-tinged urine observed since morning. Approximately 5 ml of blood was aseptically collected from the jugular vein for hematobiochemical analysis and Giemsa-stained blood smear examination. Clinical examination revealed a rectal temperature of 102.4°F and icteric mucous membranes of the conjunctiva and vulva. Hematological findings indicated anemia and thrombocytopenia, while biochemical analysis showed elevated levels of BUN, creatinine, SGOT, total and indirect bilirubin, and globulin, along with decreased total protein, albumin, and A:G ratio. Microscopic examination of the blood smear revealed intraerythrocytic piroplasms with characteristic pear-shaped morphology and acute angles, confirming Babesia bigemina infection. Hemoglobinuria was also detected on urinalysis following centrifugation. Based on the clinical, hematobiochemical, and morphological findings, a diagnosis of babesiosis due to B. bigemina was confirmed. The calf was treated with Imidocarb dipropionate at 3 mg/kg body weight via deep intramuscular injection, along with supportive therapy, leading to an uneventful recovery.