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Buffaloes: Health and Disease !

Prepared by
Dr. Ali H. Sadiek
Prof. of Internal Veterinary Medicine
and Clinical Laboratory Diagnosis
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Assiut University
E-mail: Sadiek59@yahoo.com

1
 ? What is a Buffalo
• Buffalo are members of the bovine group of animals.
• They are cloven footed ruminants with 4 teats.
There are two main species of buffalo.
1- The African wild Buffalo (Syncerus)
2- Asian Buffalo (Bubalus) which for the most are domesticated
(Bubalus bubalis).
• Water (domestic) buffaloes is ~ 150x 106 in 50 countries
worldwide:1/9th the Nr. of cattle in the world. It is an
economically important livestock species in many Asian and
Mediterranean countries.
3- American buffalo (Bison)

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African Buffalo Water buffaloes Bison
 World Distribution of Water Buffaloes

Mediternian countries China and south asian

East Africa
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 : Asian Water Buffalo
• 97 % of the world's water buffaloes are located in Asia.
There are two types
1- Swamp buffalo: ‫جاموس المستنقعات‬
• Indigenous to those parts of Asia which do not have a great
culture from consuming milk & milk byproducts (Indonesia
northwards to China)
• It is a dual purpose animal (meat and draught)
2- River buffalo: ‫الجاموس النهري‬
• It is a triple purpose animal (milk, meat and draught power),
• Found in those countries where milk plays a more important
part in the human diet e.g India , Pakistan , middle east ,
Caucasus and Balkans.

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 Asian Water Buffaloes
• In addition to its for meat and/or milk, Buffaloes are still
used in Asian countries as Drought animals (transport, land
Cultiv. and carriage)
• An old chineese women say:
"To my family, the buffalo is more important than I am. When I
die, they'll weep for me; but if our buffalo dies, they may starve.
• South Asian countries where the rice cultivation depends
mainly on buffalo- workload.

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 Water Buffalo
• Kingdom: Animalia
• Phylum: Chordata
• Class: Mammalia
• Order: Artiodactyla
• Family: Bovidae
• Subfamily: Bovinae
• Tribe: Bovini
• Genus: Bubalus
• Species: B. bubalis
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Egyptian water Buffaloes
Bubalis bubalis

Buffaloes back home from

pastures
The Egyptian women observe
and take care of their
buffaloes. 7
 Egyptian Water Buffaloes
• Villagers in medieval
Egypt adopted the water
buffalo, and become the
most important domestic
animal in modern Egypt.
• Buffalo population
increased gradually and
has reached over 2 million
head.
• Buffaloes now supply
Egyptian with more meat,
milk, cooking oil, and
cheese.
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 Egyptian Water Buffalo
• Dimensions:
- height at withers: 125-150
cm
- Weight: 350-600 kg
- Color: dark grey
- Horns: extend backwards
(sickle shape)
• Principle usage:
- milk, meat, fertilizer
- no longer used for
plowing, pulling, riding, etc...
• Temperament:
- Can be vicious when
handling (temperament can
depend a lot on environment
and level of confinement)
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 Egyptian Water Buffalo
• Milk production:
- 4-10 kg of milk twice daily,
depends of the amount of
concentrate fed
- Has at least a 7% milk fat
- Milk is whiter in color than
cow's milk
- Days in lactation per year:
210-280
- Average number of
lactations: 7
• Calving:
- age at first calving: 34-41
months

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 Egyptian Water Buffalo
• Housing:
- In isolated pens beside
the house
- In pens connected to the
house
- In fields (usually tied to
the ground)
• Watering:
- Through pipes for those
kept in houses.
- From irrigation canals
for those in a field
• Feeding:
- Usually fed baseem
during the day and
concentrate (corn, bran,
cotton seed, etc...) at night

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Behavior and physiology of water buffalo
• In general the husbandry of buffalo is more
or less similar to that of cattle.
• Buffalo are generally docile and easy to
handle & unless wounded or severely
stressed.
• Breeding throughout the year and having a
calf every year.
• They carry their calf for 10 months; twin
calves and dystokia are very rare.
• Adult females may reach 350kg, in
Himalayans, to 800kg in Bulgaria and Italy
• Longevity : up to 20 years old
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Behavior and physiology of water buffalo
• Buffalo love to wallow in water but it is not necessary.
• De-horning is not recommended as the horns provide
a mechanism for body heat loss.
• Well constructed house is preferable, can be loose
yard or cubicles.
• Buffalo exceed cattle in their ability to convert poor
quality forage to meat or milk.
• Buffalo consume 2.5% of its body weight as a daily dry
matter intake.
• Stocking rates for buffalo: 10-20% higher than for cattle.
• Buffalo prefer to graze a shorter sward to cattle, nearer to
that for sheep.

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 Comparison with Cattle
Cattle and water buffaloes are obviously different animals.
Genetics
• Swamp buffalo has 48 chromosomes,
• The River buffalo, 50. chromosomes
• The chromosomal material is, however, similar in the two types
and they crossbreed to produce fertile hybrid progeny.
• Cattle have 60 chromosomes, hybrids from the union are unlikely
to occur

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 Comparison of Buffalo & Cows Milks
Buffalo Cows
Butterfat % 8.0% 3.9%
Protein % 4.5% 3.3%
Cholesterol 8mg 14mg
Colour Pure white Creamy
Texture Smooth Less smooth
Taste Sweet Salty
Cell Counts Very low Higher
Yield/Lact'n 1850 5500
Kg

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 Meat Production
• Buffalo meat, like the milk is lower in
cholesterol and higher in mineral
content than that of cows.
• Lean buffalo meat has less than half
(44%) the total fat content of lean beef
and has less saturated fat.
• When cooked there is little noticeable
difference in the two meats, either
visually or in taste or texture.
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 Vital Clinical And Laboratory values

Animal Cattle Buffaloe

Normal Temperature °C 38.5 38.2
Pulse rate/min 50-80 40-60
Respiratory rate/m 10-20 8-20
RBCs (T/l) 5-10 6-8
Hb (G/dl) 8-14 11.5-15.5
WBCs (G/l) 4-12 7-9
PCV (%) 26-42 32-52

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 Diseases susceptibilityvs Cattle
• Buffaloes are very hardy and tolerant of weather
conditions as well as extremely disease
resistant.
• In comparison with other domestic livestock, the
water buffalo generally is a healthy animal.
• This is particularly impressive because most of them
live in hot, humid regions that are conducive to
disease,
• Buffalo is a bovine susceptible to most diseases
and parasites that affect cattle.
• Although the reasons are not specifically known, the
effect of disease on the buffalo and its productivity is
often less deleterious than on cattle. 18
 Diseases susceptibilityvs Cattle
• The greatest buffalo losses are often among
calves.
• Newborn buffalo calves, like cattle calves, can
die in large numbers due to viruses, bacteria,
and poor nutrition.
• Calves especially rarely suffer from
pneumonia or non-nutritional scours.
• Poor management during the calf's first 2
months of life may attribute to these losses., e.g.
depriving calves from their valuable mother milk
to sell it.
• Proclivity of buffalo calves for wallowing
exposes them to waterborne diseases.
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Diseases susceptibilityvs Cattle

I- Non infectious disease

1-Exposure to heat and direct sunlight
• Buffaloes suffer if forced to remain,
even for a few hours, in direct sunlight.
• They have only one-tenth the density
of sweat glands of cattle and their coating of hair is sparse,
providing little protection from the sun.
• Accordingly, buffaloes must not be driven over long distances
in the heat of the day.
• They must be allowed time for watering and, if possible, for
wallowing.
• Driving under a hot sun for long hours will cause heat
exhaustion and possibly death; losses can be very high and
can occur suddenly.
• Young calves are particularly affected by heat.

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 Diseases susceptibilityvs Cattle
2- Exposure to extreme cold
• Buffaloes are also sensitive to extreme
cold and seem less able than cattle to
adapt to truly cold climates,
• Buffaloes don't do well where the sun
is inadequate to ripen,
• Sudden drops in temperature and chill
winds may lead to pneumonia and
death.

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 Diseases susceptibilityvs Cattle
3- Lameness and clinical mastitis is also
rare in adults.
4- Lymphangitis and Limb Abscesses
were frequently noted on Egyptian
Buffalo.
5- There has been no incidence of BSE in
any buffalo anywhere in the world.

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 Diseases susceptibilityvs Cattle
Traumatic reticuloperitonitis and its -6 •
allied syndrome
Traumatic pericarditis •

Dewelap & Brisket edema•

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 Diseases susceptibilityvs Cattle
7- Phytobezoar obstructing Frothy Tempany-8
• The reticuloomasal orifice
causing ruminitis, regurgitation,
aspiration pneumonia and death
in a she-buffalo

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 Diseases susceptibilityvs Cattle
9- Metabolic diseases
-Hypophosphatemia
• It occurs mainly at late pregnancy, It is related
closely to feeding with Barseen (Sweet Clover).
• In Cattle it occurs primarily at peak of lactation and
related directly to heavy milk production
• Milk fever occurred in mild form and
respond to ca therapy as well

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Tail Tip Necrosis in buffaloes-10 :
Zinc deficiency/or microfilaria

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 Diseases susceptibilityvs Cattle
III- Infectious Diseases
• Tropical countries have more serious disease
problems than temperate countries do.
• Despite their general good health, buffaloes are
probably as susceptible as cattle to most
infections.
• Buffalo seems to be sensitive to a few cattle
diseases and resistant to a few others.
• Reactions to some diseases seem to vary with
region, environment, and breed, and the
differences are not well understood.

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 Diseases susceptibilityvs Cattle
1-Pasteurellosis, or HS
• It is the most serious disease of water buffaloes, it is
caused by Pasteurella multocida.
• Buffaloes are more susceptible
to it than cattle and die in large
numbers where pasteurellosis
occurs.
• A vaccine against pasteurellosis is effective in
protecting both buffaloes and cattle; it is cheap and
easily made.

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 Diseases susceptibilityvs Cattle
2-Tuberculosis-
• It was thought that buffaloes were
resistant to the disease. Despite some
claims to the contrary, the water
buffalo is susceptible to the bovine
strain of T.B.
• Scattered reports from different parts
of India indicate no difference in the
incidence of infection between cattle
and buffaloes .
• T.B occurs among the buffalo herds of
the world only because most are kept
under unsanitary conditions.
• Most were housed in muddy, ill-kept
pens and forced to eat sugarcane tops
off the ground;

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 Diseases susceptibilityvs Cattle
3- Brucellosis
• Brucellosis is a frequent cause of abortion in buffaloes.
• Buffaloes and cattle are equally susceptible to
brucellosis.
• Serologic procedures and measures developed for the
control of the disease in cattle are also effective means
of curbing this infection in buffaloes.
• Brucellosis in Venezuela is increasing more rapidly
among buffaloes than among cattle.
• In India the disease is no more prevalent among
buffaloes than among cattle.
• Consumption of raw milk or contact with aborted fetuses
may cause undulant fever in humans.
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 Diseases susceptibilityvs Cattle
4-Mastitis .Severe swelling of the hind quarter
• Among milking buffaloes
mastitis is a problem as it is in
dairy cows, but to a lesser
extent.
• It is likely to increase, however,
as the milk production per
individual buffalo is increased.
• The bacteria that cause mastitis
in the buffalo are similar to
those in cattle.
• Treatment and control
programs used for cattle are
equally effective for buffaloes.

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 Diseases susceptibilityvs Cattle
• 5-Rinderpest and piroplasmosis
seem to affect buffaloes as much
as cattle.
• 6-FMD also affects buffaloes, but
to a lesser degree than cattle,
producing smaller lesions and
having a lower incidence.
• 7-Bovine pleuropneumonia:
Natural infection was not reported
in buffaloes , however
experimental infection exhibited
slight fever, but the disease never
appeared.
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Diseases susceptibilityvs Cattle
Disease Suscepatibilty vs cattle

1 Pasterullosis Equal or greater

2 T.B Equal
3 Black leg greater
4 Anthrax Equal
5 Salmonellosis Probly equal
6 Rinderpest Equal or greater in iran
7 FMD Probly equal
8 BVD Probly equal
9 Rabies Equal but less common
10 Blue tongue Not known
11 Buffalo Pox Pecuular to buffalo
12 Ephemeral f. Not known
13 M.C.F Not known
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 Diseases susceptibilityvs Cattle
Disease Suscepatibilty vs cattle

1 Anaplasmosis Less susceptible

2 Theileriosis Equal
3 Babesiosis Less suscept.
4 Trypanosoma Equal
5 Coocidia Probly equal
6 Sarcosporidia Equal or greater in iran
7 Echinococcus Probly equal
8 Schistosoma Probly equal
9 Fascioliasis Equal but less common
10 Bovine Not known
encephaloml.
11 Trypanosoma Equal
12 Coocidia Probly equal
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 IV- Other Diseases
• Ticks -Buffaloes are notably resistant, although not
immune, to ticks.
• The basis of the buffalo's tick resistance is not known,
but wallowing and rubbing may play a role in it; animals
kept in experimental concrete pens have developed
heavy tick infestation.
• Accordingly, healthy buffaloes are not commonly
affected by diseases borne by ticks nor are the
hides damaged by their bites.
• Since ticks are rarely found on buffaloes,
anaplasmosis, theileriasis, and babesiosis, which
are tick-borne, have little effect on buffaloes in the
field.
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 Diseases susceptibilityvs Cattle
Wallowing of water buffaloes &
their mud-coated skin seems to repel insect and
tick ectoparasites and they consequently require
greatly reduced treatment with insecticides

36
 Diseases susceptibilityvs Cattle
• Although the buffalo fly (Siphona exigua) affects
the animals, other pests such as the warble fly
and the screwworm, for example, seldom affect
healthy buffaloes.
• Despite their inclination for living in swamps,
Avers, and ponds, diseases of the feet
such as foot rot and foot abscesses
are rare.

37
 V-Insects and Helminthes
• Screwworm- Larvae of the
screwworm fly (Callitroge
species), a major pest of livestock
in Central and South America and
some other tropical areas, do not
affect adult water buffalo.
• In Venezuelan areas where cattle
(Zebu type) are severely infested,
adult water buffaloes are virtually
free of screwworm larvae and the
umbilicus of newborn calves
seldom if ever becomes infected.

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 Roundworm
• The roundworm is the most serious buffalo parasite
and if untreated it may cause intestinal
obstruction.
• Toxocara vitulorum: It cause a heavy losses of
young buffalo calves throughout the world
• Buffalo- calves seem more susceptible than mature
animals and they become infected before birth or
within 24 hours after birth through the mother's
colostrum.

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 Roundworm
• The adult water buffalo appears to have a
high degree of resistance
to strongyloid nematodes.
• Being such excellent converters of rough
fodders they do not suffer the nutritional
deficiency and the resulting liability to
these roundworms experienced
seasonally by cattle.

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 Liver Fluke
• Liver Fluke- During wallowing,
water buffaloes can easily become
infected with the waterborne infective
stages of liver fluke
(Fasciola gigantica).
• No clinical signs of the disease are
usually evident unless become heavy
• It seems likely that the resulting liver
damage reduces the growth and the
work and milk production of buffaloes
more than is generally appreciated.

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 Trypanosomiasis
• Trypanosomiasis-
• Water buffalo is susceptible to
trypanosomiasis and is
reportedly more susceptible
than cattle to T. evansi.
• Experience with the animal in
Africa is limited, but
trypanosomiasis may be the
reason why Egypt is the only
African country that has
traditionally employed water
buffalo.
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 Other Parasites
• Pediculosis, caused by the
sucking louse
(Hematopinus tuberculatus),
occurs
widely among buffalo
• The lung worm Dictyocaulus
ririparus thrives in warm, humid
areas and sometimes infects
buffaloes heavily, although its
outward manifestations are rare.
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 Sarcoptic mange

• Sarcoptes scabiei is
a serious disease,
especially among
calves and during dry
seasons when
wallowing
opportunities are
restricted.

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“Examin. of Mouth “IBR

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 :Vet. Convoys on Assiut Villages

Student and Staff Activity

Taking History

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 :Vet. Convoys on Assiut Villages

• Fluid therapy in
diarrheic
dehydrated calves
• Drawing of
buffaloes to the
Mobile Vet.
Clinics

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 Clinical Exam. and Treatment

• Antibiotics and vaccines developed for cattle work

equally well on buffaloes.
• Treatments are available for most of the serious
diseases of buffaloes, although some are not very
effective for either animal 48
 Genetic Improvement
• Select superior buffalo bulls
and cows for breeding.
• Performance testing, leading
to the mass selection of
superior animals, deserves
high priority.
• A massive selection program
is needed to bring about
genetic progress.
• For each breed, bulls and
cows with the potential for
improving production of meat
and milk and increasing draft
power should be identified and
used for breed improvement..

49
 Genetic Improvement
• Crossbreeding of Swamp and
River buffaloes is a potentially
important route to genetic
improvement.
• Infusing genes for high milk
production into the Swamp buffalo,
now used mainly for meat and
work, creates the potential for a
triple-purpose animal.
• The use of artificial insemination
and deep-frozen semen should be
a major help in upgrading the
buffalo.
• Transfer of live embryos for
implantation in the uterus of
surrogate mothers could be
important for water buffalo.

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