Theileria annulata RT-PCR
Theileria annulata RT-PCR is a blood test that looks for the DNA of the tick-borne parasite that causes tropical theileriosis in cows and buffaloes. It can find much smaller amounts of the parasite than a blood smear, including in carrier animals that look healthy.
- Sample
- Whole blood (EDTA)
- Quantity
- As advised
- Report
- Confirmed when you book
- Collection
- Free in Bhopal
What this test checks
- Theileria annulata DNA (genetic material) in an EDTA blood sample
- Low levels of the parasite that a blood smear may miss
- Carrier infection in cows and buffaloes that look healthy
- Whether the parasite's DNA was detected or not detected in the sample
Benefits of this test
- Can help detect theileriosis when a blood smear is negative but the signs still suggest it.
- Can help find carrier animals that look healthy but can still pass the parasite to ticks.
- Looks for one named parasite, which helps your vet tell theileriosis apart from other tick fevers.
- Useful before new animals join the herd, or when the disease keeps returning on a farm.
- Needs only a small blood sample, and no fasting.
When your vet may advise it
- A cow or buffalo with high fever and swollen lymph nodes, especially in the tick season.
- Pale gums, weakness, poor appetite or a sudden drop in milk, with ticks seen on the animal.
- A blood smear was negative but your vet still suspects theileriosis.
- Before buying new animals or bringing them into the herd.
- After a theileriosis case, when your vet wants to look for carriers in the herd.
- A crossbred or exotic cow that keeps getting fever in the hot or rainy season.
About this test
Tropical theileriosis is a serious tick-borne disease of cows and buffaloes. It is caused by Theileria annulata, a tiny single-celled parasite that Hyalomma ticks pass on when they feed. The parasite first grows inside white blood cells in the lymph nodes, which are small glands under the skin, and then moves into the red blood cells. A sick animal may have a high fever, swollen lymph nodes, pale gums, weakness, poor appetite and a sudden drop in milk. Crossbred and exotic cows are more at risk than desi (local Indian) cattle, and cases are more common in the hot and rainy seasons, when ticks are active.
PCR stands for polymerase chain reaction. It is a lab method that finds a germ's genetic material, called DNA, by copying it many times until there is enough to detect. This test looks for Theileria annulata DNA in blood collected in an EDTA tube, a tube that stops blood from clotting. A blood smear seen under a microscope is quick and useful, but it can miss the parasite when only a few are present. PCR can pick up these low levels, so it helps when the smear is negative but the signs still point to theileriosis.
Animals that recover can stay carriers for a long time. A carrier has the parasite in its blood but looks healthy, and ticks that feed on it can pass the parasite to other animals. PCR can help find carriers, for example before new animals join a herd or when theileriosis keeps coming back on a farm. A registered veterinarian reads the result together with the animal's signs, history and other tests, and then decides on treatment or more tests.
How to prepare
No fasting is needed; blood is taken into an EDTA tube, and it helps to tell the vet about any medicine already given, but a sick animal's treatment should never wait for the test. The lab confirms the method, sample needs and reporting time when you book.
Reading the result
A registered veterinarian reads the PCR result together with the animal's signs, history and other tests. A positive result means the parasite's DNA was found, but in a carrier it may not be the cause of the current illness. A negative result makes infection less likely but does not always rule it out, so your vet may repeat the test or add a lymph node smear.
Questions about Theileria annulata RT-PCR
What is the Theileria PCR test for cows and buffaloes?
Is PCR better than a blood smear for theileriosis?
Can a cow or buffalo carry theileria without looking sick?
Can I send a blood sample for theileria PCR from outside Bhopal?
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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18 Oct 2026