Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Balantidiasis in an Asiatic elephant and its therapeutic management

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Journal of Parasitic Diseases Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A 14 years old female Asiatic elephant was presented to the hospital with a history of mucoid watery diarrhea, inappetence and lethargy. Clinical examination revealed normal body temperature (98.2 °F), tachycardia (42 bpm), eupnoea (14/min), congested mucous membrane and dehydration. Haemato-biochemical parameters are well within the range. Microscopic examination of faecal sample revealed presence of live, motile and pear shaped ciliated Balantidium coli protozoa. Based on clinical and laboratory examination, the condition was diagnosed as balantidiasis. The animal was treated with Tab. Metronidazole (10 mg/Kg, PO, BID) for 5 days. Supportive treatment was done with antacids, hepatoprotectants and multivitamin supplements. An uneventful recovery was noticed after 5 days of treatment.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

B. coli :

Balantidium coli

bpm:

Beats per minute

E. coli :

Escherichia coli

GIT:

Gastro-intestinal tract

References

  • Bauri RK, Ranjan R, Deb AR, Ranjan R (2012) Prevalence and sustainable control of Balantidium coli infection in pigs of Ranchi, Jharkhand, India. Vet World 5(2):94–99

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bilal CQ, Khan MS, Avais M, Ijaz M, Khan JA (2009) Prevalence and chemotherapy of Balantidium coli in cattle in the River Ravi region, Lahore (Pakistan). Vet Parasitol 163(1–2):15–17

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hassan N, Randhawa CS, Singh S, Narang D (2017) Chronic diarrhea and therapeutic trial with metronidazole in Balantidium coli infected cattle and buffaloes. IJLR 7(7):4–81

    Google Scholar 

  • Ichhupujani RL, Bhatia R (1994) Medical parasitology. Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers, India, pp 113–116

    Google Scholar 

  • Islam MR, Haque AKMF, Khan MAHNA, Talukder MRI (2000) Balantidiasis in water buffaloes: incidences and therapeutics trial. Bangladesh J Agr Sci 27(1):143–146

    Google Scholar 

  • Jain NC (1986) Schalm’s veterinary hematology, 4th edn. Lea and Febiger, Philadelphia

    Google Scholar 

  • Klinhom S, Loythong J, Thitaram C (2017) Hematologic and biochemical reference intervals for captive Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) in Thailand. Kafkas Univ Vet Fak Derg 23(4):665–668

    Google Scholar 

  • Mehlhorn H (2016) Balantidium coli. In: Mehlhorn H (ed) Encyclopedia of parasitology. Springer, Berlin

    Google Scholar 

  • Needham CD, Simpson RG (1952) The benzidine test for occult blood in faeces. QJM Int J Med 21(2):123–134

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Palanivel KM, Thangathurai R, Nedunchellian S (2005) Epizootiology of Balantidium coli infection in ruminants. Indian Vet J 82(6):682–683

    Google Scholar 

  • Partani AK, Kumar D, Bhan AK (1998) Prevalence of Balantidium coli infection in camels in Bikaner, Rajasthan. J Vet Parasitol 12:118–121

    Google Scholar 

  • Patil NA, Udupa KG, Kumar SP (1998) Prevalence, clinical symptoms and treatment of balantidiosis in buffaloes. Buffalo Bull 17:61–64

    Google Scholar 

  • Raether W, Hanel H (2003) Nitro heterocyclic drugs with broad spectrum activity. Aventis Pharma AG, Germany 90:19–39

    Google Scholar 

  • Rahman MM, Samad MA (2010) Prevalence of subclinical gastro-intestinal parasitosis and their effects on milk production with therapeutic management in red Chittagong cattle. Bangladesh J Vet Med 8(1):11–16

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Randhawa SNS, Singla LD, Randhawa CS (2010) Chronic cattle diarrhea due to Balantidium coli infection-a clinical report. J Vet Parasitol 24:197–198

    Google Scholar 

  • Reddy KP, Reddy LR (1993) Flagyl in treatment of balantidiosis. Livest Advis 18:32

    Google Scholar 

  • Ryan SJ, Brashares JS, Walsh C, Milbers K, Kilroy C, Chapman CA (2012) A survey of gastrointestinal parasites of olive baboons (Papio anubis) in human settlement areas of Mole National Park, Ghana. J Parasitol 98(4):885–888

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sampurna R (2007) Balantidiosis (Balantidium coli). Department of Histopathology, Lady Hardinge Medical College, New Delhi, India

    Google Scholar 

  • Schuster FL, Ramirez-Avila L (2008) Current world status of Balantidium coli. Clin Microbiol Rev 21(4):626–638

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Silva ID, Kuruwita VY (1993) Hematology, plasma, and serum biochemistry values in domesticated elephants (Elephas maximus ceylonicus) in Sri Lanka. J Zoo Wildl Med 24:440–444

    Google Scholar 

  • Singh NK, Singh H, Haque M, Rath SS (2012) Prevalence of parasitic infections in cattle of Ludhiana district, Punjab. J Parasit Dis 36(2):256–259

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Smith DS (2003) Parasites and pestilence: infectious public health challenges. http://www.stanford.edu/class/humanbiol03/ParaSites2003/. Accessed Aug 2018

  • Solaymani-Mohammadi S, Petri WA (2006) Zoonotic implications of the swine-transmitted protozoal infections. Vet Parasitol 140:189–203

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sudan V, Sharma RL, Patya A, Singh PK (2012) An occurrence of clinical balantidiasis in a cross bred cow and its therapeutic management. J Vet Parasitol 26(2):164–166

    Google Scholar 

  • Tajik J, Fard SRN (2013) Balantidiasis in a dromedarian camel. Asian Pac J Trop Dis 3(5):409–412

    Article  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Medicine, Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, India

    N. Thakur, G. E. Chethan & K. Mahendran

  2. Department of Animal Husbandry, Puducherry, India

    R. Suresh

  3. Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry, Selesih, Aizawl, Mizoram, 796014, India

    G. E. Chethan

Authors
  1. N. Thakur
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. R. Suresh
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. G. E. Chethan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. K. Mahendran
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

Manuscript was written by NT as well contributed in disease diagnosis. SR had attended the case and sent samples for diagnosis. CGE contributed in disease diagnosis, management and review part. MK contributed in disease diagnosis and management.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to G. E. Chethan.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Thakur, N., Suresh, R., Chethan, G.E. et al. Balantidiasis in an Asiatic elephant and its therapeutic management. J Parasit Dis 43, 186–189 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12639-018-1072-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12639-018-1072-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation