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| Location: |
Africa - Eastern Africa - Kenya |
| Subject: |
Diseases - Parasites |
| Species: |
Black Rhino |
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The paper by G. M. Mugera and J. G. Wandera, 'Degenerative Polymyopathies in East African domestic and Wild Animals' (Vet. Rec. 80. 410), is interesting to me for two reasons. Firstly it confirms but ignores earlier work, carried out in the same department, which was first reported in 1964 by Jarrett et al. Secondly, the authors state that one of the rhinos in their series died due to babesiasis. I recall seeing Babesia parasites in blood films from sick rhinoceros from time to time in Kenya, but I was never convinced that these organisms were the cause of the illness. Piroplasms are often seen in blood smears from wild animals, but unless they are present in very large numbers it is dangerous to assume that they are pathogenic.
The attached figure was drawn some years ago and illustrates the general morphology of a Babesia species found in a black rhinoceros captured in the Tsavo Park during a period of severe drought. The parasite was mentioned in a Table published by Brocklesby and Vidler (1965) but was not illustrated. It is clear that the Babesia,.which was present in very small numbers, is a large pleomorphic organism with typical pyriform bodies and many bizarre amoeboid forms.
Like most animals that harbour piroplasms the rhino plays host to at least two species. One of these is the large form illustrated and the other is a small piroplasm that may be a Nuttallia or a Theileria species.
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A Babesia species of the black rhinoceros
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