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when the immunity, obtained by cattle as young calves, is broken down, such as
is liable to occur through the effects of intercurrent disease condition due to
for example, rinderpest (P. 358) or exposure to adverse conditions '. According
to Sturgess [ 1929 ], this disease is very common in Ceylon amongst low-country
cattle. Severe symptoms are rare except when cattle are weakened by food
shortage, etc. Haemaphysalis bispinosa Neumann, a species very common
in India, is incriminated to transmit this disease in Australia [ Fielding, 1926 ].
Babesia bovis Starcovici the causal agent of the European Red-water fever
is transmitted in all the countries of Europe by Ixodes ricinus (Linnaeus) and
in some European countries by Haemaphysalis cinnabarina var. punctata
(Canestrini and Fanzago) also. Both these species have been recorded from
the Western Himalayas but the disease according to Cooper [ 1926 ], has
not been reported from India. The mortality due to this disease varies from
6 to 60 per cent. According to Sergent Donatien, Parrot and Lestoquard
[ 1928 ], B. berbera (Sergent, Donatien, Parrot, Lestoquard, Plantureux and
Rougebief) is transmitted by Boophilus annulatus subsp. calcaratus (Birula)
which is found in India, in Algeria. The piroplasmosis of sheep and goat is
due to Babesia motasi Wenyon and B. sergenti Wenyon. The disease due
to B. motasi is dangerous and has been reported from Mysore State by Achar
and Srikantiah [ 1934 ] in sheep which were infested with Haemaphysalis
bispinosa. They found this parasite normally non-pathogenic in some sheep
but it became pathogenic during the attack of rinderpest. B. sergenti was
found in the blood of goats in India by Krishna Iyer [ 1932 ]. It produces
no recognizable symptoms in sheep and goats.
The equine piroplasmosis or biliary fever in India is due to two species,
Babesia caballi (Nuttall) and B. equi (Laveran). According to Valladares
[1914], both of them are possibly transmitted in India by Hyalomma (Hya¬
lomma) aegyptium. B. equi is found in mules and donkeys and Lingard and
Jennings [ 1904 ] have reported this parasite from camels in India.
The disease known as malignant jaundice of dogs is caused by Babesia
canis (Piana and Galli-Valerio) and has a wide distribution in the old world
including India. It frequently terminates fatally. Rhipicephalus sanguineus
(Latreille) transmits this disease in India and Haemaphysalis leachi (Audouin),
which is also found in India, in Africa. B. gibsoni (Patton), which was first
reported from the Madras hounds, produces infection in jackals and dogs.
Sen [ 1933 ] suggests the possibility of its transmission by R, sanguineus.
Carpano [ 1929 ] suggests that piroplasmosis in fowl due to Egyptianella
pullorum Carpano is transmitted by Argas persicus (Oken), a species found
in India, in Egypt.
Theileriosis.—Amongst the diseases caused by Theileria, the disease
known as the East Coast fever or Rhodesian fever which is due to Theileria
parva (Theiler) is the most dangerous. The mortality rate due to this disease
is as high as 95 to 100 per cent. Wenyon [ 1926 ] includes India in the list
of countries from where this disease has been recorded, but no other worker
has ever recorded its presence in this country.