Bovine Trypanosomes Research Articles

Gel-diffusion and hemagglutination studies with Trypanosoma theileri

Antigens prepared from trypanosome forms of T. theileri obtained from culture have been used in immunodiffusion and indirect hemagglutination tests. Absorbed rabbit antisera showed at least six reactive components in the gel-diffusion tests. In the hemagglutination test with rabbit antisera, specific reactions occurred at end point titers of 1:5,120. Precipitins were present in the sera of 10 of 17 cattle naturally infected with T. theileri, but the indirect hemagglutination test appeared to be of little or no value in detecting T. theileri antibodies, even in cattle whose sera showed precipitin reactions with the T. theileri antigen. The possible significance of T. theileri reactors in the immunologic diagnosis of the pathogenic bovine trypanosomes is discussed.