Serological studies on cattle experimentally infected with several species of African trypanosomes
Politzar, H.
Tropenmedizin und Parasitologie 25(1): 22-27
1974
ISSN/ISBN: 0303-4208 PMID: 4838998 Document Number: 73433
In 18 cattle, 12 infected with T. brucei, T. congolense, and T. vivax only, homologous and heterologous antibody responses were determined by means of the indirect fluorescent antibody test. In mixed infections of the three trypanosome species the titres to T. brucei and T. vivax were equal at times, whereas titres to T. Congolense often remained significantly lower. In infections with either one or two trypanosome species, homologous antibody titres were generally higher than heterologous titres. The differences between them, however, were often so small that species specific diagnosis would not always be possible by the investigation of a single serum sample. Yet the differences seem to be sufficient to allow such diagnosis on a herd basis.