The prevalence of Babesia antibodies in Nigerians

An indirect fluorescent antibody technique showed babesial antibodies in 94 (54%) sera from 173 Nigerian males tested. No correlation was found with the mode of living, the contact with livestock, the incidence of malaria parasitaemias or malarial antibodies. Babesia was not found in any blood smears from these people nor in splenectomized calves and rats inoculated with their blood; no antibodies against Babesia were detected in the inoculated animals. It is unlikely that subclinical babesial infections are responsible for antibodies demonstrated with babesial antigen in the human sera collected in this malarious area. © 1976.