Nature 264, 355 - 356 (25 November 1976); doi:10.1038/264355a0

Vaccination against bovine tropical theileriasis (Theileria annulata)

B. S. GILL, Y. BHATTACHARYULU, D. KAUR & AVTAR SINGH

Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana 141004, India

SINCE the reports of Tsur¹ and Brocklesby and Hawking² on the multiplication of Theileria annulata schizonts in spleen explant cultures in plasma clot, the schizonts have been grown successfully for months in tissue culture monolayers³⁻⁵ and suspension cultures⁶. Successive cultivation of schizonts in tissue culture has been shown to bring about attenuation of the parasite⁷⁻¹⁰, and suspensions of attenuated schizonts have been used as vaccine to immunise cattle against T. annulata in Israel⁸ and Iran¹¹. Reports^8,11 indicate that the protective effect of the vaccine has been tested against challenge with schizonts but not against the natural tick-induced infection. As there may be some difference in the antigens of schizont and sporozoite (the injected stage of the parasite in the tick), we have evaluated the immunity produced by the vaccine against the infection caused by tick infestation.

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