This department received requests from local veterinarians/farmers regarding mortality of animals (cattle) with symptoms of high fever and red/coffee-colored urine in Sangrur and Faridkot districts of Punjab. The two cattle herd comprising total 465 cattle in Sangrur (n=125) and Faridkot (n=340) where mortality of animals was recorded. The animal ceased to pass coffee coloured urine (haemoglobinuria) after 24 hours of treatment and regained its normal appetite after completion of the treatment.
Fig 1: Cattle showing pale mucous membrane Fig 2: Cattle infected with Babesia showing haemoglobinuria Fig 3: RBCs infected with Babesia piroplasms in erythrocytes (arrow). In majority of cases animal were passing coffee coloured urine. Deepak et al.
(2019) [5] reported that haemogram of Babesia infected cattle revealed extremely low levels of Hb, PCV, TEC and platelet counts and serum biochemistry revealed severe hyperglycemia, hyperbilirubinemia, moderate elevation of BUN and AST, and hypoproteinemia. Discover the distinct medical conditions causing red urine in cattle, from infections and protozoan diseases to injuries and diet deficiencies. The coffee-colored urine tested positive for hemoglobin, glucose, and bile pigments.
Treatment using diminazene aceturate (Berenil) at 3 mg/kg body weight, along with supportive care, proved effective for three cows, but one cow that was brought in later succumbed to severe anemia due to delayed treatment [80]. The dark red-brown urine is often the first sign seen by the farmer, but once this is observed, the disease is already advanced with extensive destruction of the erythrocytes. Timely identification and treatment improve the prognosis.
Some cattle may be found on the ground with the involuntary movements of the legs. When the nervous symptoms of cerebral babesiosis develop, the outcome is almost always fatal. Dark coloured urine Anorexia B.
bigemina Fever Anorexia Animals likely to separate from herd, be weak, depressed and reluctant to move Haemoglobinuria and anaemiaDark. Babesiosis Babesiosis is caused by a type of microbe called protozoa. Common symptoms: Fever, anaemia, jaundice, abortion, haemoglobinuria etc.
It is curable if treated promptly. If the colour of urine does not return to normal by 24 hours after treatment, treatment should be repeated. for further details Coffee coloured urine in babesiosis.
A total of 18 cattle found positive for Babesia spp., out of which 7 had only Babesia infection while 11 were positive for both Babesia and Theileria spp. Prominent clinical signs were fever, anorexia, depression, rapid respiration, tachycardia, pale to icteric mucous membranes, cofee-colored urine, straining and normal defecation. Four months back calved crossbred dairy cow had history of coffee coloured urine.
Blood smear and Blood samples of this cow were collected on the day of acute stage of infection and then 15th day.