Observations on Babesia Equi in the Salivary Glands of Rhipicephalus Evertsi

Abstract

Forty out of 56 zebra sampled in the Loliondo division, Tanzania, were found to have patent infections of B. equi. Nymphal ticks engorged on infected zebra were collected, allowed to moult and identified as R. evertsi. The adult ticks were applied to rabbits' ears and were removed four days after attachment. Acini of three out of eight tick salivary glands showed developing parasites, which were thought to be stages of B. equi. Twenty-one out of 23 infected acini showed mature parasites; the other two showed intermediate stages of development.