1. Eimeria telekii n.sp. (Apicomplexa: Coccidia) from Lemniscomys striatus (Rodentia: Muridae): morphology, pathology and phylogeny.
- Author
-
Slapeta JR, Modrý D, Votýpka J, Jirků MJ, Oborník M, Lukes J, and Koudela B
- Subjects
- Animals, Cecum parasitology, Colon pathology, Eimeria classification, Eimeria genetics, Eimeria pathogenicity, Host-Parasite Interactions, Kenya, Life Cycle Stages, Mice, Mice, Inbred BALB C, Molecular Sequence Data, Parasite Egg Count veterinary, Phylogeny, RNA, Ribosomal chemistry, Eimeria isolation & purification, Muridae parasitology
- Abstract
Using a combination of morphological, life-cycle and molecular data, we describe a new apicomplexan parasite Eimeria telekii n.sp. from a striped grass mouse Lemniscomys striatus captured in Kenya. Oocysts are oval to spherical or ellipsoidal, 20.4 x 15.7 (15.5-25.0 x 12.0-20.0) microm with a colourless, smooth and bilayered wall. Sporocysts are ellipsoidal, 11.2 x 7.8 (10.0-12.0 x 7.0-9.0) microm with a small Stieda body and granular sporocyst residuum and contain 2 elongated, banana-shaped sporozoites with a single refractile body. Life-cycle, pathogenicity and host specificity of this parasite were studied in laboratory-bred Lemniscomys barbarus and BALB/c mice. Two asexual stages and the sexual phase took place within the enterocytes of the caecum and colon of L. barbarus but not in inoculated BALB/c mice. An infectious dose of 5000 oocysts caused severe clinical illness and mortality in 2/2 (100%) L. barbarus. Phylogenetic analysis of the small subunit rRNA gene of E. telekii and members of the genera Eimeria, Cyclospora and Isospora placed E. telekii within the eimerian rodent clade.
- Published
- 2001
- Full Text
- View/download PDF