WITHDRAWN: Study on prevalence, risk factors and clinical phenotypic appraisals of Theileria annulata infection in Gir cattle

Abstract Background: Theileria annulata is responsible for tropical bovine theileriosis, which hasa significant impact on cattle health and leadsto remarkable economic losses to the dairy industry in India. In the present study, 702 Gir cattle were screened for Theileria annulata infection viatraditional microscopic and molecular techniques. The prevalence of the disease in relation to age, gender, season, tick infestations, and the frequency of acaricidal treatment in infected animals was assessed by the chi-square test, and potential risk factors were explored through multivariatelogistic regression. Additionally, a thorough clinical examination of each infected animal was performedto document clinical markers. Results: The overall prevalence of T. annulata infection in Gir animals was37.46%. Among Gir cattle, the prevalence and risk of disease was significantly greaterin the >5 year age group (57.73%; P=0.001, OR=5.19, 95% CI = 3.504-9.996), during the summer season (49.08%; P=0.001, OR=3.19, 95% CI = 2.096-4.878), with tick infestation (58.58%; P=0.001, OR=6.5, 95% CI = 4.609-9.183) and significantly lower in animals with regular acaricidal application (6.98%; P=0.001, OR=0.04, 95% CI = 0.022-0.091). Pyrexia, lymphadenopathy, altered appetite, ocular and nasal discharge, pale mucous membrane, and tick infestations are considered important clinical appraisals. Conclusions: The prevalence and risk of T. annulata infection were greater in addition to the variation in clinical markers in the Junagadh region, suggesting that further research is needed to explore the epidemiological status of this disease in the western region of Gujarat in Gir to develop effective preventive measures.