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The preferential invasion of young erythrocytes in acute Babesia bigemina infections of splenectomised calves

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Summary

The mean corpuscular diameters (MCD) of both parasitised and unparasitised erythrocytes in B. bigemina-infected splenectomised calves, and erythrocytes in uninfected splenectomised control calves were measured.

Parasitised erythrocytes were significantly larger than unparasitised erythrocytes from the first observation (day 4) until day 13.

After reticulocytes first appeared (day 8) the MCD for parasitised and unparasitised red cells rose 50 %, while the standard deviation (S. D.) for parasitised red cells increased twice, and the S. D. for unparasitised red cells increased three-fold. It was found that not only did the proportion of new red cells increase to nearly 100 % by day 22, but the proportion of parasites in new cells showed an even more rapid rise, reaching nearly 100 % by day 13. Giemsa stained thin blood films confirmed that parasites directly enter young red cells.

The data indicate that new red cells are preferentially parasitised.

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References

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Long Pocket Laboratories, CSIRO, Private Bag No. 3, P.O., 4068, Indooroopilly, Queensland, Australia

    I. G. Wright & J. D. Kerr

Authors
  1. I. G. Wright
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  2. J. D. Kerr
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Division of Animal Health.

Division of Mathematical Statistics.

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Wright, I.G., Kerr, J.D. The preferential invasion of young erythrocytes in acute Babesia bigemina infections of splenectomised calves. Z. Parasitenk. 43, 63–69 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00329164

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00329164

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