Transmission of amakebe by means of rhipicephalus appendiculatus, the brown tick

That the disease in calves of Uganda called Amakebe is identical with East Coast fever had to be concluded after the presence of the so-called blue bodies of Koch, or plasma bodies, had been demonstrated in the internal organs; these bodies represent certain stages, agametes, agamonts, and gamonts, in the life cycle ofTheileria parva . Accordingly, it had to be expected that Amakebe could be transmitted by means of such ticks, which act as hosts for this parasite. The most common tick of Uganda is the Brown TickRhipicephalus appendiculatus , which has been proved in South Africa to be the principal transmitter of East Coast fever. When in Uganda in 1909 an arrangement was made between Mr. Hutchins, the Government Veterinary Surgeon of Uganda, and myself, to place adult brown ticks, collected as nymphæ from calves suffering from Amakebe, on susceptible calves in my laboratory in Onderstepoort, Pretoria, Transvaal; these ticks were to be collected by Mr. Hutchins as opportunity occurred.