CLINICOHEMATOLOGIC AND SEROLOGICAL COMPARISON OF JAPANESE AND RUSSIAN STRAINS OF THEILERIA-SERGENTI

  • 1 January 1980
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 20  (2) , 44-52
Abstract
The Japanese and Russian strains of T. sergenti were compared clinico-hematologically and serologically. They were subjected to passage in splenectomized calves 4-8 mo. old by the infestation of infected ticks or the inoculation of infected blood. The average period of incubation of the Japanese strain was proved to be 23 days by the tick infestation and 21 days by the inoculation of infected blood stored in a frozen state. The rate of detection and the average size of various forms of Theileria in the proliferative stage of the Japanese strain were as follows: commashaped and bacilli forms, 86.8%; bacilli form, 2.15 .times. 0.73 .mu.m; oval and spherical forms, 11.3% and 1.97 .times. 1.22 and 1.46 .mu.m, respectively; tetracoccal form and anaplasma-like form, 0.9 and 1.0%, respectively, and 0.54 .mu.m in diameter. The highest parasitic rate of the Japanese strain was 11.9% and the rate of decrease in erythrocyte count was 70.6%. Rods were seen in protozoa particularly rich in cytoplasm. Such symptoms as pyrexia, depression and anorexia appeared as Theileria propagated. No hemoglobinuria occurred and no schizonts were detected. Essentially the same results were obtained from the Russian strain. Haemaphysalis longicornis produced in Japan acted also as a vector for the Russian strain. There was a good serological agreement between the Japanes and the Russian strain in the results of the cross complement fixation test and the cross indirect fluorescent antibody test. There was no difference in the results of the complement fixation test with the 8 strains of the Japanese strain.