Bovine piroplasmosis in the provinces of Skikda and Oum El Bouaghi (Northeastern Algeria): Epidemiological study and estimation of milk yield losses ; Piroplasmosis bovina en las provincias de Skikda y Oum El Bouaghi (Argelia del Noreste): Estudio epidemiológico y estimación de las pérdidas de rendimiento de leche ; Piroplasmoses bovines dans les provinces de Skikda et d’Oum El Bouaghi (nord-est de l’Algérie) : étude épidémiologique et estimation des pertes de production laitière

During a survey carried out in 88 farms located in two provinces of Northeastern Algeria – Oum El Bouaghi and Skikda –, 89 clinical cases of piroplasmosis (i.e. an 11.6% infection rate in the examined cattle) were reported between May and September 2011 in 86.4% of the visited farms. Three species of piroplasms were identified in the blood films stained with Giemsa: Theileria annulata (in 94.0% of the sick animals), Babesia bovis (33.7%) and Babesia bigemina (3.4%), with 31% of co-infections. No significant difference was observed in the prevalence between the two provinces, nor between cattle breeds. Tropical theileriosis caused a significant drop in milk production estimated at 319 liters per infected cow during the two months following the disease. Seven tick species were collected in the farms during the study period. The infestation peak was observed in July for Hyalomma scupense (syn. H. detritum), H. lusitanicum, H. anatolicum, Rhipicephalus bursa and R. turanicus, and in August for H. marginatum and H. excavatum. A positive correlation was observed between clinical cases of tropical theileriosis and H. scupense infestation on one hand, and clinical cases of babesiosis and R. bursa infestation on the other hand. ; Durante una encuesta llevada a cabo en 88 fincas localizadas en dos provincias del Noreste de Argelia – Oum El Bouaghi y Skikda –, se reportaron 89 casos clínicos de piroplasmosis (o sea una tasa de infección de 11,6% en el ganado examinado), en 86,4% de las fincas visitadas entre mayo y septiembre 2011. Se identificaron tres especies de piroplasmas en los frotis sanguíneos con tinción de Giemsa: Theileria annulata (en 94,0% de los animales enfermos), Babesia bovis (33,7%) y Babesia bigemina (3,4%), con 31% de co-infecciones. No se observó diferencia significativa entre la prevalencia de las dos provincias, ni entre las razas de ganado. La theilerosis tropical causó una caída significativa de la producción estimada de leche de 319 litros por vaca infectada durante los dos meses siguientes a la ...