Effect of Bovine Blood Fractions on the Infectivity of Theileria parva to Bovine Blood Lymphocytes

Esther Kibuka-Sebitosi*¹ and Godwin P. Kaaya²  

¹Centre for African Renaissance Studies (CARS), University of South Africa (UNISA), 287 Skinner Street, Pretoria, P.O. Box 392 UNISA 0003, Pretoria, South Africa.

²Department of Biology, University of Namibia, Private Bag 13310, Windhoek, Namibia.

ABSTRACT: An assay for feeding ticks on whole blood and blood fractions and assessment of its ability to transmit Theileria parva parasites in vitro was established. Bovine blood was separated into plasma and erythrocytes by centrifugation and then fed to ticks in vitro. Results indicated that plasma alone was unable to support the development of T. parva sporozoites and their infectivity to peripheral bovine blood lymphocytes, resulting in only 0.07% infection rates, compared to 1.02% for erythrocytes and 20% for whole blood. The control ticks that fed in vivo on rabbits produced the highest infection rates (67.9%). Based on observations of the number of schizonts, as evidence of proliferation of peripheral blood bovine lymphocytes, it is deduced that In vitro infections of lymphocytes were successfully carried out with sporozoites obtained from ticks fed in vitro. This technique may be useful in future transmission experiments for vector-borne diseases.

KEYWORDS: Artificial/Membrane Feeding; East Coast Fever; In vitro Transmission; Rhipicephalus appendiculatus; Theileria parva; Ticks; Theileriosis

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