Acta Veterinaria Tomus XXII, Fasciculus 3. [antikvár]

EIMERIA MRIGAI N. SP. (EIMERIIDAE: SPOROZOA) IN BLACK BUCK (ANTELOPE CERYICAPRA)ByB. P. Pande, P. P. S. Chauhan, B. B. Bhatia and G. S. AroraU. P. College of Yeterinary Science and Animál Husbandry, Mathura, India(Received May 15, 1971)The first eimerian species de seribed from an antelope is Eimeria antelocaprae Huizinga 1942 (from Antilocapra americana). Subsequently, E. antelocervi Ray and Mandal, 1960 was recorded in the black buck (Antelocervus capraefAntelope cervicapra). Oocysts identical to E. cheetali Bhatia, 1968 in Axis (Cervus) axis were recovered from this host (Bhatia, 1968) and have subsequently been found in Gazella gazella. In these three species, the oocysts, though possessing a micropyle, lack a polar cap.Of the species deseribed from wild cervidae and bovidae, the oocysts in twelve lack a micropyle, in twenty-four others a micropyle is present and in two cases a micropylar cap is alsó present (Pellérdy, 1965). To this list E. tragocamelis has to be added. This species has re-cently been deseribed from nilgai (Boselaphus tragocamelus) in which the thin narrower end of the oocystic wall was suggestive of a micropyle (Bhatia, 1968).The rectal sample available from an antelope (black buck), shot on 28. 10.1968, yielded numerous oocysts which, after study, proved to belong to a new species deseribed as Eimeria mrigai n. sp. The nematodes that were available, included 23 specimens of Haetnonchus contortus, 36 of Bunostomum trigonocephalum and 12 of Trichostrongylus colubriformis.Materials and methodsThe alimentary tract of the black buck, examined somé hours after the hunt, exhibited signs of postmortem changes though the thickened and severe-ly congested patches yielded the oocysts and gametocytic stages. The smears from the rectal contents were examined directly and after centrifugation. A small quantity was, after straining, left in 2.5% potassium dichromate solution. Examination of serapings from the lesioned patches in the jejunum yielded oocysts and somé of the other endogenous stages. A few pieces were fixed in 10% formalin for histologic study. The 5 6 ^ thick serial sections were stained with Erhlich's haematoxylin and eosin. Drawings were made with the help of a Spencer's camera lucida under oil-immersion objective of an Olympus phase-contrast microscope with 15 X eyepiece. Morphological details of the sporo-cysts and the sporozoites, liberated after treatment of the sporulated oocysts with 5% trypsin (pH adjusted between 7 8) followed by gentle pressure with the needle on the coverslip preparations, were observed.Constant examination of the sporulating oocysts enabled an appraisal of the sequence in the sporulation process of the sporont.