Investigation of a reported increase in clinical disease attributed to anaplasmosis and babesiosis in Costa Rican dairy herds

Abstract

Anaplasmosis and babesiosis have been recognized as significant disease entities in Latin America for many decades. As in the United States, seroprevalence varies widely within the country of Costa Rica, dependent on altitude, temperature, vegetation, and other factors. Infection with multiple hemoparasites (Anaplasma marginale, Babesia bovis, and/or Babesia bigemina), along with other comorbidities and management factors, may influence manifestation of clinical disease. This study was undertaken as a field investigation in response to reported concerns of increased sudden death and severe clinical disease in adult animals, as well as unexpected serious disease in younger animals. The aim was to evaluate the infection status and epidemiology of these herds to determine what organisms might be playing a role in disease and identify potential changes in management that could help mitigate the impact.