The effects of Eperythrozoon ovis in sheep.

Infection of adult sheep with a single strain of Eperythrozoon ovis led to three different situations. First, the animal resisted the organism and no haematological changes occurred. Second, the host developed a controllable parasitaemia in which erythrocyte values fell shortly after peak parasitaemia and then returned to normal. Third, the host failed to control the parasitaemia and chronic low grade anaemia developed. Dexamethasone sometimes caused a resurgence of parasitaemia in sheep.