HETEROPHILE ANTIBODIES TO CHICKEN ERYTHROCYTES IN SHEEP INFECTED WITHTRYPANOSOMA-CONGOLENSE

High hemagglutinin titres against chicken erythrocytes were detected i n the sera of Trypanosoma congolense-infected sheep. Adsorption of she ep sera with solubilized T. congolense resulted in marked reduction of hemagglutinitin titre. Heat inactivation of the sera at 56 degrees C for 30 min had no demonstrable effects on the hemagglutinin titre. Ser a collected from the sheep before trypanosome infection did not agglut inate chicken erythrocytes. On the other hand, erythrocytes of horse, donkey and dog were agglutinated at very high titres by sera collected both pre-infection and during the course of infection. Erythrocytes f rom bovine and caprine species were not agglutinated by contemporaneou s sera at both low and high dilutions. Hemagglutinin titres for chicke n erythrocytes returned promptly to pre-infection levels in chemothera peutically terminated infections. The brand of trypanocide used, had n o effect on the course of the hemagglutinin titre's return to a normal level.