Immunisation of smallholder dairy cattle against anaplasmosis and babesiosis in Malawi.

A field study was conducted in the Southern Region of Malawi to evaluate the possible benefits of immunisation of improved dairy cattle against Anaplasma marginale, Babesia bigemina and Babesia bovis. Friesian crossbred heifers were immunised when they were being reared on Government farms. They were then issued to smallholder farmers, together with unvaccinated controls, where many of them were exposed to heavy tick infestation.

Integrated tick and tick-borne disease control trials in crossbred dairy cattle in Malawi.

Crossbred dairy heifers on a farm in an East Coast fever (ECF) endemic area in Malawi were immunised against Theileria parva, Anaplasma spp., Babesia bigemina, Babesia bovis and Cowdria ruminantium. They were treated at infrequent intervals with chlorfenvinphos to limit infestation with adult ticks, without providing complete tick control.

Improving the specificity of indirect immunofluorescence for the serological diagnosis of bovine anaplasmosis.

Fluorescing inclusion appendages were detected consistently in preparations of Anaplasma centrale and Anaplasma marginale when they were used as antigen in indirect immunofluorescence serological tests for the diagnosis of anaplasmosis in cattle. The presence of the inclusion appendages made it possible to confirm the specificity of the immunofluorescent reaction and to determine end-points with accuracy.

Field observations on the duration of immunity in cattle after vaccination against Anaplasma and Babesia species.

In an outbreak of Babesia bovis in a large herd of Friesian x Malawi Zebu cattle, which occurred after an interruption of intensive dipping, clinical or fatal babesiosis occurred in 54/299 (18.1%) animals which had never been vaccinated, as compared to 9/153 (5.9%) vaccinated animals.

Reactions to heartwater vaccination in crossbred Zebu cattle.

One thousand and ninety-four crossbred Zebu cattle were immunized against heartwater with a sheep-blood vaccine containing the Ball 3 strain of Cowdria ruminantium. Animals experiencing febrile reactions were treated at various stages of the reaction with tetracycline. Four hundred and sixty-two (42.