Sp. Kamwendo et al., EFFECTS OF HEMAGGLUTINATION (LECTIN) INHIBITORY SUGARS ON THEILERIA-PARVA INFECTION IN RHIPICEPHALUS-APPENDICULATUS, International journal for parasitology, 25(1), 1995, pp. 29-35
We have previously described the presence of haemagglutinins in tissue
s of the tick, Rhipicephalus appendiculatus and determined their sugar
specificities by inhibition experiments. In this study, haemagglutina
tion inhibitory sugars are shown to have an effect in vivo on the abun
dance of Theileria parva infected salivary gland acini in Rhipicephalu
s appendiculatus. A significant increase (P <0.05) was observed in T.
parva acinar infection rates in the salivary glands of R. appendiculat
us fed on ears of rabbits infused with melibiose and raffinose. In con
trast, mannose and turanose (non-haemagglutination inhibitory sugars)
did not cause elevation of T. parva acinar infection rates. The effect
of melibiose in elevating acinar infections was observed when used on
ly during T. parva maturation in the salivary glands but not during pa
rasite pick-up from an infected bovine host. Stabilates produced from
ticks with elevated acinar infections did not differ from control stab
ilates in infectivity to cattle, by comparison of prepatent periods to
pyrexia, or parasitosis, or in the severity of reactions.