Revista de ciencia veterinaria y diagnóstico médico

Besnoitia besnoiti natural infection in a crossbred cow in India

S.Krishna kumar, M.Ranjith kumar, R.Madheswaran, S.Kavitha and P.Selvaraj

Besnoitia besnoiti is an obligate intracellular parasite that causesbesnoitiosis in cattle, goats, and equids.Acute besnoitiosis is characterized bypyrexia, enlargement of the lymph nodes, anorexia, ruminal atony, and necrosis of the epidermis. A crossbred Jersey cow was referred for respiratory distress, swollen lymph nodes, patchy dermis, pyrexia, and anorexia. Skin histopathology revealed Besnoitia cysts. The animal was treated with oxytetracycline (10 mg/kg body weight, IV) for a week and with ivermectin (200 μg/kg, SC) once a week for 75 days with supportive therapy. Chronic bovine besnoitiosis was diagnosed, and the author concluded that no therapeutic plan would be successful. This case is unusual because besnoitiosis is not commonly reported in India