International Journal of Molecular Veterinary Research, 2024, Vol.14, No.6, 227-234 http://animalscipublisher.com/index.php/ijmvr 228 This study provides a comprehensive overview of current control strategies for buffalo infectious diseases, covering the examination of the epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment of key diseases such as schistosomiasis, coccidiosis, babesiosis, paratuberculosis, trypanosomiasis, and infections caused by Neospora caninum and Toxoplasma gondii, also explores the effectiveness of various control measures, including vaccination, chemotherapeutic treatments, and management practices.This study aims to highlight the current knowledge gap and propose directions for future research to improve disease control in water buffalo populations. 2 Major Infectious Diseases in Water Buffalo 2.1 Bacterial diseases Water buffaloes are susceptible to various bacterial infections, which can significantly impact their health and productivity. One notable bacterial disease is paratuberculosis, a chronic enteric disease affecting ruminants. A study conducted in the Campania region of Italy found a high herd-level prevalence of paratuberculosis in water buffaloes, with an apparent prevalence of 54.7% at the herd level and 1.8% at the animal level. This suggests the need for urgent adoption of herd-control programs to manage this disease effectively (Martucciello et al., 2021). Another significant bacterial pathogen is Anaplasma marginale, which was detected in 29% of water buffalo blood samples in the Philippines. This pathogen is known to cause tick-borne diseases, and its high prevalence highlights the importance of surveillance and prevention programs (Galon et al., 2019). 2.2 Viral diseases While the provided data does not include specific studies on viral diseases in water buffaloes, it is well-documented in the literature that water buffaloes can be affected by various viral infections, such as foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) (Damaty et al., 2021) and bovine viral diarrhea (BVD). These diseases can lead to severe economic losses due to decreased productivity and increased mortality rates. Effective vaccination and biosecurity measures are essential to control the spread of these viral infections in water buffalo populations. 2.3 Parasitic diseases Parasitic infections are a major concern for water buffalo health, with several studies highlighting their prevalence and impact. Schistosomiasis, caused by Schistosoma japonicum, is a significant zoonotic parasitic disease. Research has shown that water buffaloes can develop resistance to reinfection with S. japonicum after initial exposure and treatment with Praziquantel, suggesting the potential for vaccine development (McWilliam et al., 2013; He et al., 2018). Another important parasitic disease is babesiosis, caused by Babesia species. Water buffaloes infected with Babesia bovis showed no or significantly mitigated clinical symptoms compared to bovines, indicating an efficient innate immune response (Benítez et al., 2018). Additionally, infections with Neospora caninum and Toxoplasma gondii have been associated with reproductive losses in water buffaloes, including abortion and embryonic death (Ciuca et al., 2020; Inpankaew et al., 2021). Trypanosoma vivax has also been reported to cause severe acute infections in water buffaloes during stressful conditions, such as prolonged droughts, leading to significant mortality (Garcia et al., 2016). Lastly, Fasciola gigantica, a tropical liver fluke, has been shown to induce significant immune responses in infected buffaloes, with upregulated immune-related pathways in various tissues (Hu et al., 2022). 3 Current Control Strategies 3.1 Vaccination Vaccination is a critical strategy in controlling infectious diseases in water buffalo. For instance, the use of Bovine alphaherpesvirus 1 (BoHV-1) gE-deleted marker vaccines has been explored to protect water buffalo against Bubaline alphaherpesvirus 1 (BuHV-1). In a study, water buffaloes immunized with these vaccines showed early humoral immunity and reduced viral shedding compared to unvaccinated controls, indicating potential protective
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