Babesia divergens (Phylum Apicomplexa) in vitro growth in the presence of calf serum.
Resistance to severe babesiosis in young calves has frequently been ascribed to an unknown serum factor(s) which inhibits growth of Babesia bovis in vitro. Our experiments show that young calf sera are as suitable as adult bovine sera for the in vitro culture of Babesia divergens, indicating that in this species at least inverse age resistance is due to alternative mechanisms. The suitability of commercial foetal calf sera for B. divergens cultures seems highly variable.
Zintl
A
A
Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Conway Institute of Biomedical and Biomolecular Research, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland. annetta.zintl@ucd.ie
Skerrett
H E
HE
Gray
J S
JS
Brophy
P O
PO
Mulcahy
G
G
D000818:Animals; D001403:Babesia / Q000254:growth & development*; D002417:Cattle; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods; D003470:Culture Media / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male
D003470:Culture Media