title: Seasonal incidence of parasitic diseases in bovines of south western Gujarat (Junagadh), India.
abstract: The current study was conducted to investigate the incidence of parasitic diseases in bovines which were sick and brought at veterinary hospital for treatment. A total of 366 samples were investigated from cattle (n = 175) and buffaloes (n = 191) presented at Teaching Veterinary Clinical Complex (TVCC), Veterinary College, Junagadh, Gujarat during January to December 2014. Examination of Giemsa-stained peripheral blood smears exhibited that 58.6 % of cattle and 41.2 % of buffaloes were infected with haemoparasites comprisingBabesia bigemina,Theileria annulata, andAnaplasma marginale@ of 54.0, 3.4 and 1.1 in cattle and 38.8, 1.2 and 1.2 percent in buffaloes, respectively. The incidence of total haemoparasites andB. bigeminainfections was significantly higher (p < 0.05) in cattle whereas, incidence of haemoparasites were recorded significantly higher in the month of July to November (i.e., rainy and autumn) in both cattle and buffaloes, respectively (p < 0.01 and p < 0.001). Coprological examination revealed that the overall incidence of gastrointestinal (GI) parasitic infection was 45.5 % in cattle and 43.4 % in buffaloes. The incidence of individual parasite was 11.4, 1.1, 2.3, 4.5, 1.1, 3.4, 2.3 and 19.3 in cattle and 4.7, 0.9, 0.0, 2.8, 0.9, 5.7, 0.0 and 28.3 % in buffaloes forEimeriaspp.,Trichurisspp.,Toxocara vitulorum, Strongyle,Fasciolaspp., amphistomes,Schistosoma indicumandBuxtonella sulcata, respectively which differ insignificantly (p > 0.05). Seasonal prevalence of GI parasites was highest in summer in both cattle and buffaloes, the data being statistically non-significant (p > 0.05). However, the incidence ofB. sulcatain both cattle (19.3 %) and buffaloes (28.3 %) was higher in comparisons to other GI parasites. The present investigation emphasized thatB. bigeminaandB. sulcataare the most important parasites of bovines of this region.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Parasitology, College of Veterinary Science & Animal Husbandry, Junagadh Agricultural University, Junagadh, 362001 Gujarat India.
authors.forename: Binod
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Parasitology, College of Veterinary Science & Animal Husbandry, Junagadh Agricultural University, Junagadh, 362001 Gujarat India.
authors.forename: B R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Maharana
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Science & Animal Husbandry, Junagadh Agricultural University, Junagadh, 362001 Gujarat India ; Teaching Veterinary Clinical Complex (TVCC), College of Veterinary Science & Animal Husbandry, Junagadh Agricultural University, Junagadh, 362001 Gujarat India.
authors.forename: Amit
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Prasad
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Science & Animal Husbandry, Junagadh Agricultural University, Junagadh, 362001 Gujarat India ; Teaching Veterinary Clinical Complex (TVCC), College of Veterinary Science & Animal Husbandry, Junagadh Agricultural University, Junagadh, 362001 Gujarat India.
authors.forename: Joice P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Joseph
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Science & Animal Husbandry, Junagadh Agricultural University, Junagadh, 362001 Gujarat India ; Teaching Veterinary Clinical Complex (TVCC), College of Veterinary Science & Animal Husbandry, Junagadh Agricultural University, Junagadh, 362001 Gujarat India.
authors.forename: Bhavika
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Science & Animal Husbandry, Junagadh Agricultural University, Junagadh, 362001 Gujarat India ; Teaching Veterinary Clinical Complex (TVCC), College of Veterinary Science & Animal Husbandry, Junagadh Agricultural University, Junagadh, 362001 Gujarat India.
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Patel
keywords: Buffalo; Cattle; Gujarat; Incidence; Junagadh; TVCC