Fine structure of Theileria parva in the Bovine skin

Abstract

Ultrastructural studies of Theileria parua in the bovine skin revealed 'infective particles' of the parasite. These parasite forms were pleomorphic and were found extracellular or within host lymphoid cells, neutrophils and erythrocytes. The parasites were Bproduct of extracellular schizogony. They were phagocytosed by the host leucocytes but seemed actively to invade the erythrocytes. Several extracellular uninucleate schizonts were also observed. The presence of extracellular infective particles, uninucleate schizonts and multinucleate schizonts, some showing schizogony, suggests an extracellular life cycle of T. parua within bovine tissue.