in 1902 there was an outbreak of what was initially thought to be redwater in the transvaal. arnold theiler sent specimens of blue tick ("boophilus decoloratus", now known as "rhipicephalus (boophilus) decoloratus"), known to be the usual vectors for redwater, taken from infected cattle to lounsbury in cape town. there, surprisingly, they caused no disease when introduced to healthy cattle, leading to the discovery that the disease was not redwater, but a new protozoan parasite east coast fever or "theileria parva" transmitted by the tick "rhipicephalus appendiculatus".