Theileria Infections in Rhipicephalusappendiculatus Ticks Collected in the Field

Abstract

The accurate determination of Theileria infections in tick vectors in the field would facilitate the quantitative approach to the epidemiology of theileriosis. The first attempt at such a quantitative assessment of Theileria infections in Rhipicephalus appendiculatus was made by Walker et al (in press). They made collections of unfed R. appendiculatus adult ticks from two areas, Mbita and Trans-Mara Division, Kenya. They compared Feulgen’s and Methyl Green/Pyronin staining of whole salivary glands of ticks fed for 4 days on rabbits and a sporozoite isolation procedure coupled with a cattle infectivity test for assessing Theileria infections. Their conclusion was that Feulgen’s staining plus application of ticks to cattle was the method of choice in assessing Theileria challenge in ticks from the field.