Prevalence of Theileriosis in Small Ruminants in Lahore-Pakistan

S. Naz, A. Maqbool , S. Ahmed , K. Ashraf , N. Ahmed , K. Saeed , M. Latif, J. Iqbal , Z. Ali, K. Shafi* and I. A. Nagra

Abstract

Theileriosis is an important hemoparasitic disease in small ruminants in Pakistan. A total of 529 animals were selected to determine the prevalence of theileriosis in Lahore, Pakistan. On microscopic examination, 59/529 (11.2%) samples were positive for theileria. The prevalence of Theileria spp. was found to be 8.2% and 13.9% in goats (21/256) and sheep (38/273). Age, sex and season had no effect on theileria infection in goat (p > 0.05). The prevalence of theileriosis in sheep was affected by age and season (p < 0.05) with a trend noticed for gender (p = 0.013). Pyrexia was noticed in about 85.71% sheep and 78.95% goat. Further prevalence studies are needed to establish the effect of the risk factors on sheep and goats.

Key Words: Theileria, Sheep, Goat, Prevalence, Epidemiology, Risk Factors