ABSTRACT
1. We describe the isolation of viable merozoites from erythrocytes infected with Babesia bovis or Babesia bigemina organisms by ammonium chloride lysis. 2. Parasite morphology was examined by both light and transmission electron microscopy. Erythrocyte-free parasites maintain their viability and infectivity, retain their antigenicity and are suitable for use in the indirect fluorescent antibody assay
Subject(s)
Animals , Cattle , Babesia bovis/isolation & purification , Babesia/isolation & purification , Erythrocytes/parasitology , Antibodies, Protozoan/analysis , Babesia bovis/immunology , Babesia bovis/ultrastructure , Babesia/immunology , Babesia/ultrastructure , Ammonium Chloride/pharmacology , Fluorescent Antibody Technique , Microscopy, ElectronABSTRACT
Two kinds of small extrachromosomal nucleic acid elements were found in the bovine babesias, Babesia bovis and B. bigemina. One element with an apparent size of 5.5 kilobase pairs (kbp) is a double stranded RNA related to virus like particles. Another molecule is a double stranded DNA with a molecular size of about 6.2 kbp. Southern blot comparison of restriction DNA fragments of the latter molecule, which is present in both B. bovis and B. bigemina is described