Isolation and transmission of Theileria mutans (Chisamba) in Zambia

Theileria mutans (Chisamba) was isolated from a steer at Chisamba, Central Province, Zambia by inoculation of blood into a susceptible unsplenectomised calf. The parasite was then transmitted on three occasions by nymphs and once by adult Amblyomma variegatum ticks. Macroschizonts, typical for T mutans, were detected in two calves for short periods. The parasite caused varying degrees of anaemia in all experimental calves, whose sera showed high antibody titres to T mutans in the indirect fluorescent antibody test.