ISOLATION OF A THEILERIA SPECIES FROM ELAND (TAUROTRAGUS ORYX) INFECCTIVE FOR CATTLE

  • 1 January 1977
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 28  (2) , 185-194
Abstract
Theileria infections were induced in cattle by feeding ticks on them from 3 sources: (a) adult rhipicephalid ticks obtained from the vegetation in a paddock containing an eland EAO at the Animal Orphanage, Nairobi National Park, Kenya, (b) Rhipicephalus appendiculatus adults fed as nymphs on the same eland, (c) R. pulchellus adults fed as nymphs on an eland W 68 captured in the Machakos district of Kenya. Both eland were harboring Theileria parasites at the time nymphal ticks were fed. Mild infections were produced when adult ticks from these 3 batches were applied to cattle associated with low numbers of schizonts and piroplasms. The indirect fluorescent antibody test demonstrated that cattle recovered from infections resulting from the above 3 tick batches from eland W 68 and EAO produced antibodies which reacted with schizont antigen of the Theileria sp. (eland) and Theileria sp. (Githunguri) which had been isolated from cattle and not to antigens of other Theileria spp. used. The cattle recovered from the Theileria sp. (eland) were fully susceptible to a lethal challenge of a T. parva (Muguga) stabilate. The Theileria sp. (eland) and Theileria sp. (Githunguri) may be closely related and could represent a new species of Theileria infective to cattle.