Nature 241, 476 - 477 (16 February 1973); doi:10.1038/241476a0

Antibody to Babesia in Scottish Red Deer (Cervus elaphus)

B. M. A. LATIF & K. M. G. ADAM

Department of Zoology, University of Edinburgh

Babesia spp. have a world wide distribution in domestic animals¹; and have also been described in wild animals^2,3. The occurrence of this protozoon, however, is poorly known since the organism is rarely detectable in blood films except for a short period soon after initial infection. After this time, if the host survives, the infection becomes latent. Infections may be diagnosed by serological methods. The indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA) test has the practical advantage that it is simple to perform and requires only a small volume of serum; it can also be carried out with blood collected on filter paper.

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