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. 2021 Jan 23;28(3-4):381–392. doi: 10.1186/BF03548606

Clinical and Serological Response after Experimental Inoculation with Babesia Divergens of Newborn Calves with and without Maternal Antibodies

Experimentell infektion med Babesia divergens av nyfödda kalvar med och utan maternala antikroppar

Dan A Christensson 1,✉
PMCID: PMC8185775  PMID: 3454549

Abstract

The influence of maternal antibodies on clinical and serological response after experimental inoculation with Babesia divergens of newborn calves was studied. Five calves, born to dams seropositive for B.divergens, (Group 1) had specific maternal antibodies when tested 12 h after their first feeding of colostrum. At that point they were inoculated i.v. with B.divergens infected erythrocytes. Five other calves, born to dams seronegative for B.divergens, (Group 2) had no Babesia specific maternal antibodies when inoculated at the same age.

Babesia divergens organisms were demonstrated in blood smears from calves in both groups at some point 5 to 10 days p.i. All calves in both groups had B.divergens specific IgM antibodies at 7 to 17 days p.i. as shown by a modified IF-test. Specific IgG antibodies, transferred by colostrum, were found in all calves of Group 1 before inoculation of B.divergens. The IgG titre of these animals increased by a doubling dilution step at 11–25 days p.i. Among calves of Group 2 specific IgG antibodies were found at first between day 9 and 15 p.i. Both IgM and IgG antibody titres had to be investigated since demonstrated IgG antibodies can originate both from maternally transferred antibodies and from actively produced antibodies after an infection.

There was no difference in clinical parameters; parasitaemia, PCV, Hb, and rectal temperature between the groups.

This experiment gives evidence that there can be a resistance to bovine babesiosis in newborn calves independent of maternal antibodies.

Keywords: inverse age resistance, IgM, IgG antibodies

Full Text

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Acknowledgment

Among the persons who made this experiment possible, I especially want to thank Dr. T. Morén for producing fresh strains of B.divergens, Professor P. Holtenius and his staff for providing calves and free access to the facilities at the Department of Cattle and Sheep Diseases, Professor O. Holmberg for providing newborn calves, Ms. E. Orstadius and Ms. K. Candelöf for technical assistance and Ms. G. Wikne for typing the manuscript.

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