Bovine Tick Fever RT-PCR Panel (Theileria, Babesia & Anaplasma)
The Bovine Tick Fever RT-PCR Panel is a blood test that looks for the main tick-borne blood infections of cows and buffaloes in one sample. It typically covers Theileria, Babesia and Anaplasma, and the exact list is confirmed when you book.
- Sample
- Whole blood (EDTA)
- Quantity
- As advised
- Report
- Confirmed when you book
- Collection
- Free in Bhopal
What this test checks
- DNA of the main tick-borne blood germs of cows and buffaloes, from one EDTA blood sample
- Theileria, the parasite that causes theileriosis
- Babesia, the parasite that causes babesiosis (redwater)
- Anaplasma, the small germ that causes anaplasmosis
- Mixed infections, where more than one germ is found; the exact list is confirmed when you book
Benefits of this test
- Checks for several tick fevers in one blood sample instead of separate tests.
- Can help detect mixed infections, which are hard to sort out from signs alone.
- More sensitive than a blood smear, so it can find low-level and carrier infections.
- Names the germ found, which helps your vet plan treatment or further tests.
- Useful for checking new animals before they join the herd.
When your vet may advise it
- A cow or buffalo with fever, weakness and a sudden drop in milk during the tick season.
- Red or dark brown urine, pale gums, or yellow eyes and gums.
- Swollen lymph nodes (glands under the skin) together with fever.
- A blood smear was negative or unclear but your vet still suspects tick fever.
- Before buying animals, or when tick fever keeps returning in the herd.
- An animal that stays weak or pale after an earlier bout of tick fever.
About this test
Tick fever is a common name for several blood infections that ticks spread to cows and buffaloes. The main ones are theileriosis, caused by Theileria, babesiosis, caused by Babesia, and anaplasmosis, caused by Anaplasma. Babesiosis is also called redwater, because it can turn the urine red or dark brown. Theileria and Babesia are tiny single-celled parasites. Anaplasma is a very small germ (bacterium) that lives inside red blood cells. All of them can cause fever, weakness, a sharp fall in milk and anaemia, which means a shortage of red blood cells.
The signs of these infections overlap, and one animal can carry more than one at the same time. This panel uses multiplex PCR. PCR (polymerase chain reaction) finds a germ's genetic material, called DNA, by copying it many times, and multiplex means several germs are checked in the same sample. The panel typically covers Theileria, Babesia and Anaplasma, and the exact list is confirmed when you book. Blood is collected in an EDTA tube, which stops it from clotting.
A blood smear is quick and useful in a very sick animal, but it can miss low numbers of these germs, and some are hard to tell apart under the microscope. PCR can find lower levels and names the germ it finds. Animals that recover may stay carriers, which means they hold the germ in their blood while looking healthy, and ticks can spread it from them. A registered veterinarian reads the result together with the animal's signs, history and blood counts before deciding on treatment or further tests.
How to prepare
No fasting is needed; blood is collected into an EDTA tube, the vet should know about any medicine already given, and a sick animal's treatment should not wait for the result. The lab confirms the method, sample needs and reporting time when you book.
Reading the result
A registered veterinarian reads the panel result together with the animal's signs, history and blood counts. A positive result means the germ's DNA was found, but a carrier may test positive while its illness has another cause. A negative result makes these infections less likely but does not always rule them out, so your vet may repeat the test or add other tests.
Questions about Bovine Tick Fever RT-PCR Panel (Theileria, Babesia & Anaplasma)
What does the tick fever PCR panel test for in cows and buffaloes?
Why test for all three tick fevers at once?
Is the PCR panel better than a blood smear for tick fever?
Can a cow test positive for tick fever and still look healthy?
Before you book this test
Why this notice: so you know, before you book, how a test is done, what its limits are and who is responsible.
- Where it is tested. Some tests are done wholly or partly by an independent partner laboratory. The lab tells you before booking if this test is sent out, and the report names the laboratory that did it.
- What a result can and cannot tell you. No test is right every time. A normal result does not rule out every disease, and an abnormal result does not prove one. A registered veterinarian should read the report with the animal’s signs and history before any treatment is started, changed or stopped.
- The sample. A sample that is clotted, too small, wrongly labelled, leaking or too old may be rejected or reported with a note, and the lab may ask for a fresh one.
- Reporting time. Confirmed when you book. Times are estimates, not guarantees, and the lab confirms the time when you book.
- Emergencies. A booking or a pending report must not delay urgent care. If an animal has collapsed, struggles to breathe, has fits or bleeds heavily, call a veterinarian at once.
Please read our Terms of Service, Medical Disclaimer, Privacy Policy and Refund and Cancellation Policy. Pashupatinath Vet Lab is operated by Duaji Healthcare and Tech Private Limited. This page is general information and does not replace a veterinarian’s advice.
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Bovine Tick Fever RT-PCR Panel (Theileria, Babesia & Anaplasma): Bhopal and the big cities of Madhya Pradesh
Free sample collection anywhere in Bhopal. From the other cities, send the sample by courier, bus parcel or through your local veterinarian, and the report comes to you online.
Free collection in these Bhopal areas
Read more
Tick Fever RT-PCR in Cattle and Buffalo: Beyond the Smear
A smear shows tick fever parasites you can see under a microscope, while tick fever RT-PCR can also find light infections and carriers that a smear may miss. Together they give a vet a fuller picture.
18 Oct 2026
Why Some Tests Are Sent to Partner Laboratories
Some tests, such as specialist assays, RT-PCR, culture and histopathology, may be done wholly or partly by an independent partner laboratory. The lab should tell you before you book if that applies, and the report should name the laboratory that did the test.
18 Oct 2026