ISOLATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF A BABESIA SPECIES FROM RHIPICEPHALUS-EVERTSI-EVERTSI TICKS PICKED OFF A SABLE ANTELOPE (HIPPOTRAGUS-NIGER) WHICH DIED OF ACUTE BABESIOSIS

Transmission of a Babesia species to susceptible cattle by Rhipicephal us evertsi evertsiticks picked off a sable which died of acute babesio sis is described. The parasite was initially isolated by feeding R. e. evertsiticks on a susceptible, splenectomised bovine: which developed parasitaemia. Blood stabilate from the parasitaemic bovine produced a fatal babesiosis in a spleen- intact bovine. Clinical signs shown by the affected animals corresponded with those of acute babesiosis. Para sitological examination, the immunofluorescence antibody test and the polymerase chain reaction test revealed that the parasite transmitted by the ticks initially and the blood stabilates prepared from affected animals was Babesia bigemina. This parasite was morphologically ident ical to that observed in Giemsa-stained blood smears prepared from the dead sable.