132 INFECTIOUS DISEASES DUE TO PROTOZOA 



East coast fever, a much more serious disease, from the similarity 

 of the parasites. Theiler states that B. mutans may easily and 

 has constantly been mistaken for Th. parva. For diagnostic 

 purposes where small numbers of piroplasmata are found in the 



Fig. 14. Babesia mutans (Theiler). 



blood, the examination must be repeated. In East coast fever 

 the organisms will usually increase rapidly in numbers, whereas 

 B. mutans increases slowly and is never present in large numbers. 

 Examinations of the blood, except for parasites, were not given. 



EAST COAST FEVER (RHODESIAN FEVER) 



East coast or Rhodesian fever is a destructive disease of cattle 

 in parts of South Africa caused by Theileria parva, Theiler. A 

 disease very similar, if not identical, has been reported in Tunis 

 (Ducloux) and in Egypt (Bitter). The parasites during the first 

 stages of the disease appear as very small rod-shaped or ring forms. 

 Exceptionally, larger and pyriform parasites are found (Schilling). 

 The parasites are found usually in large numbers in the circulating 

 blood. The disease is not inoculable by blood containing the 

 parasites, but is transmitted by ticks. 



