In the present communication, observations were made on developing phases of Plasmodium bubalis in clinically suspected buffaloes belonging to private owners at Nagpur city.

Nine Murrah buffaloes between five to nine years old with a history of fever (103–105°F) for three days, anorexia, dullness, reduced milk yield, loss of body weight, lacrimation, loss of vigour, haemoglobinaemia and haemoglobinurea were examined during July to September, 2001 clinically. Blood smears were prepared, stained by Leishman stain and examined microscopically.

Microscopical examination of stained thin blood smears prepared during the height of temperature, revealed erythrocytic schizonts, young ring forms in 1.5 to 2 µm in diameter (Fig. 1) and fully developed trophozoites of 5 to 6 µm in size (Fig. 3). The gametocytes were typically round in shape and confined mostly along the peripheral margin of erythrocytes. A single red blood cell contained only one schizont at its margin (Fig. 1). The developing trophozoite which occupied one fourth of erythrocyte was roughly ellipsoid in shape (Fig. 2), while the fully developed trophozoite was typically elongated, cone shaped and occupied nearly half the space of red blood cell (Fig. 3). .

The morphological features and location of developmental stages of the intraerythrocytic parasites were similar to those reported by Richardson and Kendall (1963) and the findings were corroborated with the earlier reports of Shastri et al. (1985). In thin blood smears stained with Leishman's stain, the morphology of the ring shaped schizonts of Plasmodium in the periphery of erythrocytes resembled to certain extent those identified as P. bubalis by Kolte et al. (2002). The other forms of the parasite were different from the earlier observations and could be considered new findings assigned to buffalo malaria from Maharashtra. The transmission of Plasmodium bubalis is unknown, however, occurrence of infection during hot and humid months of the year was indicative of involvement of blood sucking flies as possible vector.

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