Tick-borne diseases (TBDs) of dairy cows in a Mediterranean environment: a clinical, serological, and hematological study.

A longitudinal study of tick-borne diseases (TBDs) in Southern Italy was carried out by monitoring two dairy farms (A and B) located in the Apulia Region. On each farm ten calves and ten heifers were observed monthly from May 1999 to February 2001 for clinical signs and blood parameters; antibodies against Babesia bigemina and Anaplasma marginale using an ELISA test were also monitored for the first eight months of the study. Totals of 28 and 14 cases of TBDs were observed in the complete herds of Farms A and B, respectively. Timing of disease appearance, categories of animals affected and changes in blood parameters are discussed.