Theileria parva, the Parasite of East Coast Fever in Cattle

Parasitology ◽  
1910 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 117-129 ◽  
Author(s):  
George H. F. Nuttall ◽  
H. B. Fantham
Keyword(s):  
Peripheral Blood ◽  
East Coast ◽  
East Coast Fever ◽  
Theileria Parva ◽  
The Subject

In an earlier paper (Nuttall, Fantham and Porter, 1909, Parasitology vol II. pp. 325—340), we recorded our observations on living Theileria parva as seen in the peripheral blood of two cows which succumbed to East Coast Fever1. We now propose to describe our studies upon the parasite in stained preparations made from the animals' blood during the course of the disease and from their organs shortly after death. We shall confine our attention to the types of parasites encountered within red blood corpuscles or to corresponding types which may be occasionally encountered free in the plasma. The subject of “Koch's blue bodies” will receive attention at a later date.

scholarly journals Observations on Theileria parva, the Parasite of East Coast Fever of Cattle

Parasitology ◽  
1909 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 325-340 ◽  
Author(s):  
George H. F. Nuttall ◽  
H. B. Fantham ◽  
Annie Porter
Keyword(s):  
East Coast ◽  
Causal Relation ◽  
Good Deal ◽  
East Coast Fever ◽  
Theileria Parva ◽  
New Disease ◽  
Marked Contrast ◽  
Infected Blood ◽  
The One ◽  
Fever Reaction

Although a good deal has been written about East Coast Fever in cattle, the literature relating thereto contains very little direct information regarding the parasite which stands in causal relation to the disease. Robert Koch (1898), who was the first to observe the parasite in cases of East Coast Fever occurring in German East Africa, regarded it as but a variety of Piroplasma bovis (= bigeminum) and described the disease as Texas Fever. Theiler (1904) was the first to distinguish clearly East Coast Fever from Redwater. He stated that “the disease has nothing to do with Texas Fever or Redwater; it is a new disease due to a parasite different to the one found in Texas Fever.” Koch (1903—1904), who gave the disease its distinctive name, reached the same conclusions as Theiler. The investigations of Theiler (1904) established the following facts: Cattle which are immune to Redwater are susceptible to East Coast Fever. East Coast Fever is not communicable by blood inoculations (30 experiments, wherein 5 to 2000 c.c. of East Coast Fever blood were inoculated). He noted the absence of haemoglobinuria in the majority of animals affected with East Coast Fever, its presence in the majority of the animals affected with Redwater. He found that in most cases of East Coast Fever, there was no appreciable decrease in the number of red blood corpuscles, this being in marked contrast to what is observed in Redwater. Theiler noted that cattle might harbour both the parasites of Redwater (P. bovis) and those of East Coast Fever (bacillary forms = T. parva). The former generally appeared in the blood “only towards the end of the fever reaction in East Coast Fever,” being previously latent in the animals which had been “salted” against Redwater. He distinguished “two groups of piroplasmosis,” the inoculable (Redwater, canine and equine piroplasmosis) and the uninoculable (East Coast Fever) by injection of infected blood. The parasites in the latter are much smaller than in the former. He named the parasites of East Coast Fever Piroplasma parvum. Theiler distinguished the parasite of East Coast Fever from P. bovis because of the frequent occurrence of bacillary forms and the minute size of the parasite, but he nevertheless retained the new parasite in the genus Piroplasma.

Theileria parva: the immune status of calves born of dams immunised against East Coast fever

1989 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 90-94 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.P. CUNNINGHAM ◽  
C.G.D. BROWN ◽  
M.J. BURRIDGE ◽  
S.P. MORZARIA ◽  
G.M. URQUHART
Keyword(s):  
East Coast ◽  
Immune Status ◽  
East Coast Fever ◽  
Theileria Parva

scholarly journals Endemic stability for Theileria parva infections in Ankole calves of the Ankole ranching scheme, Uganda

2004 ◽  
Vol 71 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
F.M. Kivaria ◽  
C. Heuer ◽  
F. Jongejan ◽  
J. Okello-Onen ◽  
T. Rutagwenda ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
East Coast ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Tick Control ◽  
East Coast Fever ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Theileria Parva ◽  
Indigenous Cattle ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Calf Mortality ◽  
Endemic Stability

A population-based study was carried out on the Ankole ranching scheme in south-west Uganda with the aim of determining the endemic status of Theileria parva infections. For this purpose, the age-related sero-prevalence of T. parva and the specific calf mortality associated with the parasite were assessed. Blood samples were collected from 931 Ankole calves of up to 12 months of age from 81 randomly selected herds. The relationship between rainfall pattern and whole-body Rhipicephalus appendiculatus counts was determined. The influence of tick control practices on East Coast fever-related calf mortality, and sero-positivity were also determined. A significant (r2 = 0.76, P = 0.000) association between R. appendiculatus counts and rainfall was observed. There was no significant (P > 0.05) association between theileriosis- related calf mortality, sero-positivity and the different tick control practices. Antibody prevalence based on the PIM ELISA was above 70 % among calves of 6 months of age in 96 % in all the herds. Theileria parva-related calf mortality determined by repeated herd visits and farm records ranged between 0% and 5.4 %. It was concluded that endemic stability for theileriosis, caused by T. parva, existed in the study area, and that the risk of the occurrence of economically important outbreaks of East Coast fever in indigenous cattle was regarded as minimal under the prevailing conditions.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document