Understanding the basics of strain restricted immunity to Theileria parva

The aim of the study was to determine the extent of genetic and antigenic diversity within parasite isolates (eg Samples from cattle, African buffalo and the live vaccine used for vaccination against Theileria parva; the Muguga cocktail). High-throughput multi-locus sequencing of antigen-encoding loci was performed in parallel with typing using a panel of micro- and mini-satellite markers. The 454 multi-locus sequencing focused on genes encoding CD8 T cell antigens, believed to be relevant to protective immunity.