Report for the year 1911 / Australian Institute of Tropical Medicine ; by Anton Breinl, in collaboration with Frank W. Taylor and T. Harvey Johnson.

  • Australian Institute of Tropical Medicine
Date:
[1912]
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Credit: Report for the year 1911 / Australian Institute of Tropical Medicine ; by Anton Breinl, in collaboration with Frank W. Taylor and T. Harvey Johnson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service. The original may be consulted at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service.

    46/146 (page 34)
    TRYPANOSOMA CHELODINA. This trypanosoma described by Dr. A. E. Johnston^ as occurring in the ]Mur- ray River tortoise, Chelodina longicoUis, and redescribed by Johnston and Cleland^ has been found in the blood of two specimens of Chelodina longicoUis out of ten examined. TRYPANOSOMES IN THE BLOOD OF NINOX BOOBOOK. In the blood of one specimen of Ninox hoobook (four were examined) scanty trypanosomes were found. In one fresh specimen of heart-blood one trypanosonie was noticed. In twenty films made at the same time only one parasite was found (Pig. 10, PI. vii.). The owl was heavily infected with Haemoproteus noctuae. The distance of the blepharoplast from the posterior end measured 3 /i. The distance of the nucleus from the blepharoplast was 9 /x. The total length measured 26 /^.. and the width at the level of the nucleus 3 ji. The trypanosome is short and stumpy, possesses a dark bluish staining cyto- plasm with distinct striation; the nucleus is large, and the free fiagellum is short. The small number of trypanosomes is remarkable, and points again to the fact that a large number of blood films must be examined before the presence of trypanosomes in the blood of an animal can be denied. PROTBOSOMA PRAECOX. A grey falcon, Falco hypoleucus Gould, was found dying on the wayside in the Lower Burdekin district. The blood films made were found heavily infected with a blood parasite belonging to the genus of Proteosoma. Trypanosomes and microfilariae were present in the blood at the same time. The number of proteo- soma found, explained the dying condition of the bird. The youngest forms, the small amoeboid sporozoits (Fig. 1, PI. viii.) show signet ring shape. The chromatin is represented by a small dense mass placed peripherally, the cytoplasm is lightly stained; a large vacuole is present. Sometimes three or four sporozoits enter one red blood corpuscle. During the growth of the parasite the cytoplasm becomes denser, the chromatin increases in bulk, and the pig- ment which appears first as minute yellowish brown granules becomes larger and darker in colour (Fig. 2, 3, PI. viii). The nucleus of the blood corpuscles becomes displaced. During sporulation the chromatin splits up into a small number of particles, which aggregate in the periphery of the parasite; the pigment, which is at first scattered over the whole parasite, collects in the centre, where it is to be found in the form of a cluster or ring. There are usually 18 to 2i spores formed (Fig. 4, PI. viii.) ; sometimes the whole blood corpuscle is packed with spores, as frequently two or more parasites sporulate in the same blood corpuscle. 1. A. E. Johnston, Aust. Med. Uaz., xxvi., 1907, p. 26. 3. Johnston and Clelancl, Frocccdiuga Linncun Soc. Xcw 8out]i, Walcis, vol. xxvj., part 3, p. 779, 1911.