248. 
East Coast Fever 
Summary. 
(1) There is very little, if any, abnormal destruction of erythrocytes 
in cases of infection with East Coast Fever. This is proved by blood 
counts, haemoglobin estimations, and the condition of the blood- 
forming and blood-destroying organs, all remaining practically normal. 
This is in marked contrast to what obtains in piroplasmosis. 
(2) The hypothesis advanced by Nuttall fits all the facts. 
According to this hypothesis the invasion of the corpuscles occurs in 
the internal organs where the parasites develop, and the corpuscles 
only act as carriers of the parasites in the blood, thereby conveying 
them to the tick which serves as the vector. 
(3) Since few, if any, of the corpuscles are destroyed they rapidly 
become charged with an increasing number of parasites which are being 
continuously produced in the internal organs as evidenced by Koch’s 
blue bodies which form and break up in the lymphatic glands, spleen, 
liver, bone-marrow, etc. (Gonder, Nuttall). 
(4) There is a marked leucopenia in East Coast Fever, the poly¬ 
morphs decreasing less rapidly than the other elements. This is in 
contrast with the leucocvtosis observable in piroplasmosis. 
