Tick-borne diseases including East Coast fever and babesiosis cause severe welfare harm in cattle across tropical and subtropical regions, requiring integrated tick control and vaccination programs.
Tick-borne diseases cause severe and rapid welfare deterioration. East Coast fever causes progressive lymph node destruction and respiratory failure, with affected cattle showing obvious distress as the disease advances. Babesiosis causes acute anemia so severe that cattle may die within days of the first symptoms appearing. Treatment for babesiosis requires specific antiprotozoal drugs, and for East Coast fever, treatment must begin rapidly to be effective. In endemic areas without adequate tick control, cattle may experience multiple disease episodes throughout their lives. The welfare and economic burden falls disproportionately on smallholder farmers in tropical regions.