Experiments on the transmission of Babesia divergens to cattle by the tick Ixodes ricinus

A modification of the method of rearing Ixodes ricinus gave a successful method of producing and reliably rearing adequate numbers of this tick for experimental work.Experiments on transmission of Babesia divergens by I. ricinus showed that infections could be initiated only in the adult stage of the tick. Whilst all stages of the F₁ generation of an infected female could transmit infection, larvae and nymphs could not acquire it. Infection persisted throughout the F₁ generation and sometimes up to the F₂ larval stage even when the ticks were maintained on hosts not susceptible to B. divergens. Both parasitaemic and premune carrier hosts were infective to ticks. A single infected adult or nymph could transmit infection.