Isolation of Anaplasma marginale from Rhipicephalus simus males

Approximately 100 adult Rhipicephalus simus from a batch known to be infected with Anaplasma marginale were used to infest an ox. Fifty male ticks were manually removed from the animal's ears 9 days after infestation. These ticks were triturated and a stabilate was prepared which was injected intravenously into 2 susceptible oxen. Both these animals became infected with A. marginale. The prepatent periods following inoculation of the tick suspensions before and after freezing in liquid nitrogen were 16 and 17 days respectively.