EFFICACY OF BUPARVAQUONE IN PCR CONFIRMED CONCURRENT INFECTION OF Trypansoma evansi AND Theileria annulata IN BUFFALOES

Five buffaloes, 5 to 7 years old in the month of July 2015 with history of high rise of temperature, nasal discharge, exophthalmia, excitement, lacrimation, salivation, dyspnea, generalised lymphadenopathy, especially in the prescapular lymph nodes were attended at a farm in Mahakaushal region of Madhypradesh. By blood smear and polymerase chain reaction analysis, it was determined that all the buffaloes had mixed infections of T. evansi and T. annulata. The treatment of all five buffaloes was initiated with single deep intramuscular injection of diminazine acceturate 3.5 mg/kg body weight along with three dosages of long acting oxytetracycline 20 mg/kg b.wt. on alternate day. A single injection of buparvaquone on the fourth day (in 3 cases) and two doses of buparvaquone (2.5 mg kg) at 48 h intervals (in 2 cases) were administered. Only 3 buffaloes showed uneventful recovery after a single injection with buparvaquone. When the blood samples of all the five buffaloes were again analyzed by PCR and found all the samples were negative for T. evansi and T. annulata except two buffaloes (Two cases hading two doses of buparvaquone) which were positive for T. annulata in spite of giving the second dose of buparvaquone. The study indicated that there might be reduced efficacy or resistance of T. annulata against buparvaquone.