Development of Babesia gibsoni in the salivary glands of the larval tick, Rhipicephalus sanguineus.

The development of Babesia gibsoni in the salivary glands of larval Rhipicephalus sanguineus ticks was morphologically studied for 4 days of feeding of tick on rabbits. Babesia gibsoni showed two forms (sporont and sporozoite) in the budding process. Sporozoites were formed in the acinar cells of salivary glands and released from the hollow cytoplasmic area of these cells by day 4 of feeding. The morphology of B. gibsoni in the salivary glands of R. sanguineus shows a close similarity to those of B. gibsoni in Haemaphysalis longicornis.