ABSTRACT
Most conventional immunodiagnostic methods are used for the measurement of the humoral response following natural or experimental babesiosis. In Southern Africa, R. Bessenger and J. H. Schoeman investigated the serological response of cattle infected with B. bigemina and/or B. bovis. High parasitemias are necessary for antigen production and are obtained for some Babesia species only in splenectomized, chemically immunosuppressed individuals or by serial passages in splenectomized animals. Various serological test systems have been used for the diagnosis of both acute and chronic forms of babesiosis. The Complement Fixation Test, however, apparently failed to detect specific antibodies to B. equi schizont antigen in horses, but was reliable when merozoite antigen was utilized. The rate of positivity of the indirect fluorescent antibody test for B. ovata in naturally infected cattle was about 60% higher than that of complement fixation test antibodies. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay cannot identify Babesia species in mixed infections.
