294 



THE PIROPLASMASIDA 



Life Cycle : The life cycle was des- 

 cribed above (p. 287). The tick vectors 

 are Ixodes persiilcalus in the USSR and, 

 according to Simitch, Petrovitch and 

 Rakovec (1955), Buophilus calcaratiis and 

 RliilJiceplialus bursa in Europe. The tick 

 ordinarily considered the vector in Europe 

 is Ixodes riciiiiis, but the species it ac- 

 tually transmits may be B. divergens 

 (see below). Transmission takes place 

 thru the egg in all ticks, and from stage 

 to stage in /. ricinus. 



Intra-uterine transmission has also 

 been reported (Neitz, 1956). 



Pathogenesis : The disease caused 

 by B. bovls is similar to that caused by 

 B. bigemuia. but is not generally as se- 

 vere. The incubation period is 4 to 10 

 days, and the first sign is a temperature 

 of 104 to 106- F which usually lasts 2 to 

 3 days. Hemoglobinuria, anemia, icterus, 

 diarrhea and rapid heart beat are present, 

 and affected animals may die. 



Immunity : Same as for B. bigemina, 

 except that premunition does not last more 

 than about 2 years. There is no cross- 

 immunity between B. bigeviiim and B. 

 bovis. 



Diagnosis : Babesiosis due to B. 

 bovis can be diagnosed on the basis of the 

 history, clinical signs and presence of 

 ticks together with identification of the 

 parasites in stained blood smears. How- 

 ever, they are easily found only during 

 the febrile period. 



B. bovis was thought to be primarily 

 European. However, Simitch and Nev- 

 enitch (1953) and Simitch, Petrovitch and 

 Rakovec (1955) found a Babesia in Yugo- 

 slavia just across the Danube River from 

 the area where Babes (1888) has described 

 B. bovis which corresponded completely 

 with B. berbera. The latter authors also 

 found another, morphologically different 

 species in Yugoslavia which corresponded 

 completely withi?. divergens. This latter 

 species had originally been described in 

 England by M'Fadyean and Stockman (1911), 

 and had generally been considered a syn- 

 onym of B. bovis. Simitch, Petrovitch 

 and Rakovec (1955) concluded that B. ber- 

 bera is a synonym of B. bovis and that it 

 occurs in North Africa and southern Europe 

 in association with Boopliiliis calcaratus 

 and Rhipicephahis bursa. They also con- 

 cluded that the species which occurs in 

 western and central Europe in association 

 with Ixodes ricinus is not B. bovis, but 

 B. divergens. 



Davies, Joyner and Kendall (1958) 

 compared a British strain of Babesia with 

 a strain of B. bovis sent to them from 

 Yugoslavia, and concluded that they were 

 indeed morphologically different and that 

 the correct name for the British strain 

 was B. divergens. 



Sergent, Donatien and Parrot (1954) 

 felt that final proof as to the identity of 

 B. bovis and B. berbera must await cross- 

 immunity experiments. I am retaining 

 both names for the present, with the strong 

 suspicion that they are synonymous. 



Treatment : In contrast to B. bigem- 

 ina, B. bovis does not respond to trypan 

 blue. Acaprin, acriflavine, phenamidine 

 and berenil are effective, however; the 

 same dosages are used as against B. 

 bigemina. 



Prevention and Control : Same as for 

 B. bigemina. 



BABESIA BERBERA 

 (SERGENT, DONATIEN, PARROT, 

 LESTOQUARD, PLANTUREUX AND 

 ROUGEBIEF, 1924) 



Synonyms : Babes iella berbera, 

 Francaiella caucasica, ? Francaiella 

 occidentalis. 



Remarks: Recent work has reopened 

 the question of synonymy in this and re- 

 lated species. B. berbera has generally 

 been considered a separate species from 

 B. bovis. It was thought to be the common 

 small Babesia of North Africa, whereas 



Hosts : Cattle. 



Location: Erythrocytes. 



Geographic Distribution : North Af- 

 rica, USSR, probably southern Europe. 



