Theileria Lawrencei Infection of Cattle and African Buffalo: Evaluation of a Buffalo Cell Culture Schizont Antigen for the Indirect Fluorescent Antibody Test.

Abstract

A schizont antigen for the indirect fluorescent antibody test was prepared from culture suspension of African buffalo lymphoid cells infected with Theileria lawrencei (T.l.) macroschizonts. This antigen was compared with Theileria parva and T.l. cell culture schizont antigens prepared from infected bovine cells, using bovine antiserum to parva and T.l. and buffalo antiserum to T.l. Complete cross-identity of these three antigens was found with all antiserum. Five buffalo naturally infected with T.l. had significant antibody titres to all three schizont antigens, using an anti-bovine conjugate in the indirect fluorescent antibody test. The peak antibody titres of these buffalo were between 1:40 and 1:2560 to the three schizont antigens. These results suggest that this test could be usefully employed in epidemological surveys.