Babesia bigemina in Kenya: experimental transmission by Boophilus decoloratus and the production of tick-derived stabilates.
A Babesia-free batch of laboratory reared Boophilus decoloratus ticks was infected with a Kenyan strain of Babesia bigemina by feeding them on a steer infected by inoculation of a blood stabilate. The engorged female ticks showed developing stages of B. bigemina in their haemolymph and subsequently their progeny transmitted the parasite to a susceptible splenectomized steer. Attempts were made to produce stabilates from pre-fed larvae and nymphs derived from infected batches of B. decoloratus. Only the stabilates derived from the nymphs pre-fed either on cattle or rabbits produced B. bigemina infection when inoculated intravenously into susceptible cattle.
D000818:Animals; D001403:Babesia / Q000254:growth & development; D001404:Babesiosis / Q000469:parasitology / Q000635:transmission*; D001769:Blood / Q000469:parasitology; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000469:parasitology / Q000635:transmission*; D005615:Freezing; D007630:Kenya; D008297:Male; D011309:Preservation, Biological; D013987:Ticks / Q000469:parasitology*