An ELISA for the diagnosis of Babesia ovis infection utilizing a synthetic, Babesia bovis-derived antigen.

The development of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the detection of Babesia ovis antibodies is described. In an initial study, a crude Babesia bovis antigen and a synthetic B. bovis-derived antigen (designated 11C5) were used to screen 46 B.

Ovine babesiosis: induction of a protective immune response with crude extracts of either Babesia bovis or B ovis.

Adult sheep were vaccinated twice with crude extracts of either Babesia bovis or B ovis parasites in Freund's complete adjuvant, four weeks apart. Three weeks later these two groups and a third susceptible group were challenged with B ovis organisms. Both vaccinated groups had significantly lower parasitaemias than control animals.