A 50-year-old question: Can imidocarb chemoprophylaxis ensure seroconversion for babesiosis in cattle under field conditions?

Abstract

Bovine babesiosis, caused by Babesia bovis or Babesia bigemina, is a major tick-borne disease affecting livestock. In regions with limited vaccine availability, imidocarb is widely used as a chemoprophylactic drug. Although it is assumed that chemoprophylaxis allows for the development of immunity shortly after treatment, the extent of seroconversion during the imidocarb administration protocol remains largely unexplored, with most investigations emphasizing symptom prevention. This research endeavors to verify the seroconversion rate (humoral immunity) of cattle undergoing imidocarb chemoprophylaxis while exposed to tick vectors in field conditions. Fifteen tick-naïve heifers were used, with twelve receiving imidocarb (experimental group) on day 0 of the experiment, and the remaining three serving as controls. On day one of the study, all animals were introduced into a tick-infested pasture. Subsequently, at 28-day intervals (days 28, 56, 84, 112, 140, and 168), the experimental group received imidocarb treatments (1.2 mg/Kg). The detection of antibodies against B. bovis and B. bigemina was performed using commercial ELISA kits. Throughout the study, all animals were exposed to natural infestation by Rhipicephalus microplus ticks. By the 56th day, after two imidocarb doses, 25 % of the experimental group had seroconverted for B. bovis, and 41 % for B. bigemina. By the 84th day, 66 % were seropositive for B. bovis and B. bigemina. By the 112th day, 75 % were seropositive for B. bovis. Notably, one heifer (8 %) failed to seroconvert for either species, while 41 % remained seropositive for only one Babesia species. These findings underscore certain limitations of the chemoprophylaxis protocol for bovine babesiosis. While the majority of treated cattle become seropositive for at least one Babesia species after four successive treatments, exposure to the parasite while receiving imidocarb chemoprophylaxis does not guarantee seroconversion for all treated animals.

Keywords: Babesia bigemina; Babesia bovis; Cattle tick fever; Piroplasmida; Rhipicephalus microplus; Vector-borne.