Pathogenesis of infection with Theileria recondita (Wales) isolated from Haemaphysalis punctata from north Wales.

The pathogenicity of Theileria recondita infection in both splenectomised and non-splenectomised sheep was investigated. Following transmission of T. recondita to splenectomised animals both by adult ticks and blood transfusion a fever and severe macrocytic hypochromic anaemia developed which lasted the 9 days or more of patent infection. The prepatent period following tick attachment was about 8 days, but was variable following blood transfusion. Infection of normal animals caused a transient macrocytic hypochromic anaemia and slight fever which lasted throughout the period of low parasitaemia (7 days). The increase in mean cell volume was due to an increase in numbers of juvenile red cells in the peripheral blood. There was a transient neutrophilia and lymphocytopenia but no significant changes in thrombocyte or leucocyte numbers.