Anaplasma marginale in buffaloes infected 16 percent of 250 Nili-Ravi buffaloes screened in Punjab, making it the most common of three tick-borne pathogens tested. Theileriosis and Anaplasma ovis followed at 12 percent and 4.4 percent. None of the usual risk factors predicted infection, and one animal carried all three parasites at once. Why tick-borne pathogens threaten buffalo herds Nili-Ravi buffaloes supply a large share of the milk produced in Punjab and form the economic backbone of many small farms. Their value makes any drop in productivity expensive. Tick-borne infections cut milk yield, slow weight gain, and cause anemia and fever that can spiral into reproductive losses. Three parasites dominate the…