ABSTRACT

Relatively little is known about proteinases of Babesia species, despite the fact that the pathophysiological changes characteristic of infection by Babesia share many common features with those caused by other haemoprotozoa such as Plasmodium (Wright et al., 1988). Interest has been enhanced, however, by the discovery that certain purified Babesia bovis proteinases act as protective antigens (Wright et al., 1983; Commins et al., 1985).