Zymogram and life-history studies on trypanosomes of the subgenusMegatrypanum

Abstract

Of 13 Swedish dairy cows examined, 12 (92.3%) were found to be infected with trypanosomes by cultivation of blood samples. Of the two species of tabanid fly caught close to the cattle, 33.3% of the Tabanus bromius and 8.6% of the Haematopota pluvialis were also found to be infected with trypanosomes on dissection. Isoenzyme patterns of trypanosome isolates from one H. pluvialis and from six cattle were identical, incriminating this fly species as a vector of the trypanosome. Comparison of these isolates with other Megatrypanum isolates indicated that the Swedish parasites were a form of Trypanosoma theileri and that T. theileri and the badger parasite T. pestanai are closely related. An isolate of a Megatrypanum from a buffalo (Syncerus caffer) in Kenya was entirely different from T. theileri.