Efficacy of Buparvaquone Treatment in Pregnant Cows Infect with Theileria Species in Sudan

A total of 100 pregnant cows from various private livestock farms of Al Nuba town, Al Gezira State, Sudan was selected to assess the therapeutic effect of buparvaquone in bovine theileriosis. Theileriosis was diagnosed before treatment by blood smears and PCR. Theileria spp. infected animals (n=96) were divided into three groups based on their gestation period; A (6 months, n=25), B (7 months, n=41) and C (8 months, n=30). Each group was subdivided into two subgroups; treated animals [T (n=68) including; TA (n=16), TB (n=28) and TC (n=24)] and non-treated animals [NT (n=28) including; NTA (n=9), NTB (n=13) and NTC (n=6)]. The subgroups TA, TB and TC were treated with buparvaquone at the dose rate of 2.5 mg/kg body weight intramuscularly. All cows were re-examined clinically and laboratory using blood smears and PCR four and six weeks after treatment. The overall recovered cows showed significant (P≤ 0.05) differences between treated and non-treated animals; the recovery percentages in treated animals (T) were 38.2% and 66.2% after 4 and 6 weeks of treatment, respectively, while in the non-treated groups (NT) the percentages were 0% and 39.3% after the same time. A variation in recovery percentage was observed among animals based on the gestation period; the recovery percentages were 18.7%, 32.1% and 58.3% after 4 weeks of treatment and 81.3%, 57.1% and 66.7% after 6 weeks of treatment for group TA, TB, and TC, respectively. The recovery percentage was 0% for NTA, NTB and NTC after 4 weeks and 33.3%, 38.5% and 50% after 6 weeks for the same groups. In conclusion, buparvaquone is quite effective against bovine theileriosis. However, it could be less effective between 6 and 8 months of pregnancy. The highest recovery percentage is found in cows in 8th and 6th months of gestation after 4 and 6 weeks of treatment, respectively.