Onde1·stepoo1·t J ou1'nal of Vete1·i1;ary Science and Animal Inclustl'y, Volume 9, Number l, .Tuly, 1937.
Printed in the Union of South Africa by the Government Printer, Pretoria.
The occurrence of Piroplasma pitheci in a V ervet Monkey ( Cercopithecus aethiops cloetei Roberts) in South Africa.
By vV. 0. KEITZ, Section of Prntoz.oal and Virus Diseases, On derstepoort.
1':rm occurrence of P. pithect was recorded by Ross (1905) in seYeral monkeys belonging to the genus Cercopithecus. The affected animab
<lid not show any diniral symptoms apart from febrile reactions. Three years later the same preparations were re-examined by K uttall and Graham-Smith, who stated that these parasites were of the P.
bigemini1m and P. canis type. Castellani and Chalmers (1H08) described piroplasms in a monkey Jllacacus pileatus under lhe name P. cell1:i. A detailed account on the pathogenicity of P. vitheri in splenectomizecl and non-splenectomi zed monkeys belonging to the genus Cereopithecus and Macacus is giYen by Kikuth (19~7). His experi- rnen ts showed that non-splenectomizecl monkeys did not suffer from the i nfed.ion, "·here as in splenectomized animals numerous parasites appeared which produced severe anaemia, loss in condition and in one case death. Furthermore, he was able to sbow that trypan blue causecl the parasites to disappear from the peripheral blood.
Sch,ntz (1933) described piroplasms resembling those described by Ross in hrn monkeys, one belonging to the genus Cercopithecus and the other to a species of Cercocoebus.
Through the kindness of Dr. A. D. Thomas of this Institute the writer obtained blood and spleen smears from an apparently healthy vervet-monkey which was shot on the farm Rossbach in the district Zoutp:rnsberg in the Transvaal.
The films were stained with Giemsa. Piroplasms could be demonstrated in rare numbers ider1tical with those <lescl'ibeJ by Ross as P. pithecl. Only endoglobular forms were present. One, h,:o and on one occasion four parasites per cell were seen. The maJority were oval in shape, measuring from l ·6µ-0/.l in length by 11~ - '2µ in "·irlth.
The ring forms measured from 2·5p-3·01< in diameter an<l the pear sha peel forms 2 · i)µ long and l · 5p wide. No .actively dividing fol'ms could be found. The nucleus of the P-long.ited forms is situated at the brnader encl and in the ring forms consists of a band situated along a portion of the peripher.''· Slight anaemic ch~rnges were present in the nature of polychromasia and anisocytosis as well as a few normu- hlasts.
31
l'HtOl'LASMA l'ITHECI IN A VERVET MONKEY.
Table showing the different species of monkeys rn which Piropla.sms have been1 described.
Parasite. [ Host. Conn try. Author. [Year.\ Remarks.
P. pitheci Cercopithecus sp. Uganda .... Ross ...... 1905 Naturally infected cases.
P. cell ii JJf acacus pileatus Ceylon .... Castellani 1908 The authors substi- and Chai- tutcd the name 1'hei- mur3 laici cellii.
P. pitheci Cercopithecus sp. Africa ..... Kikuth .... 1927 Parasites appeared in the blood as result of splcnectomy.
P. pitheci 11'Icicacus rhesus Germany .. Kikuth .... 1927 This species of monkey found to be snscepti- ble after receiving infected blood from a Cercopithecus mon- key.
P. pitheci Cercopithecils sp. Bclgiu1n- Schwetz ... 1933 Naturally infected case.
Congo
P. pitheci Cercocoebus sp. Belginm- Schwetz ... 1933 Naturally infected case. Congo
P. pitheci C ercopithecus Low Coun- Neitz ...... 1937 Naturally infected case.
aethiops Cloetei try Trans- Roberts n1al,South
Africa
LlTERATURK
CASTELLANI, A., AND CHALMEH.8, A. J. (19UJ). i\lanual of 'fropical Medicine. London.
KIKUTH, W. (1927). P1roplasmosc bei Affen. Arch. Schiffs und 'L'ropen- Hygiene, Vol. 31, pp. 37-41.
NUTTALL, G. H. F., AXD GRAHA:Vf Si\llTH, G. S. (1908). The mode of multiplication of lJiroplasma /Jovis and P. pitheci in the circulating blood compared with that of P. wnis with notes on other species of Piroplasma. Parasitology, Vol. 1, pp. 13.J.-142.
ROSS, P. H. (1905). A note on the natural occurrence of pirophismosis rn the monkey (Oercopithecus). .Tonrn, ll !J(J., Vol. 5, pp. 1S-2:L
SCHWETZ, J. (1933). Sur une Piroplasmose de deux singes (un Cercopitheque et un Oerco<:oebus) des environs de Stanleyville (Congo Belge). C.R.
Soc. Biol. Paris, Vol. 112. pp. 708-'i'OV.
32
W. O. NEI'I'Z.
l<'ig. l. Piroplasma pitlteci, showing four parasites in an erythrocyte. Xl500.
Fig. 2. Piroplasma pitheci, shmYing one large parasite m an erythrocyte.
Xl500.
33
