Babesia and Theileria Protozoa Detected from Wild Sika Deer (Cervus nippon yesoensis) in Hokkaido

抄録

A pooled blood sample collected from wild deer (Cervus nippon yesoensis) in Hokkaido prefecture was inoculated to sika deer. Large and small type piroplasms were detected from the blood smear of inoculated deer. The form of large type piroplasm was oval, ring, amoeba or binary fission, and paired pyriforms. The size of this type was 1.00-3.50 um in length, and 0.80-1.50 um in width. The form of the small type piroplasm was like dot, comma, oval or bayonet forms and quadruple fission with the formation of a cross. The size of this type was 1.20-2.50 um in length, and 0.50-1.00 um in width. Clinical signs of fever, anemia and hemoglobinemia occurred with appearance of the large type-piroplasm in peripheral blood, only fever and anemia occurred by the small type-piroplasm. It was considered from morphological features and clinical signs that the large type resembles Babesia sp. and the small type Theileria sp. The two haemoprotozoa did not infect cattle. Bebesia sp. were transovary transmitted by Haemaphysalis longicornis to the deer.