Search

Parasitological examination of faeces of 26 snakes kept in Bio-Ken Snake Farm, Watamu, Kenya revealed new species of Eimeria Schneider, 1875 in Telescopus semiannulatus Smith, 1849. Oocysts of Eimeria arabukosokokensis sp. n. are cylindrical 26.8 (25-29) x 15.1 (14-16) microm with smooth, bilayered oocyst wall and a single polar granule. The broadly ellipsoidal sporocysts average 9.3 (8.5-10) x 7.1 (6.5-7.5) microm and possess single-layered wall composed of two plates joined by longitudinal suture. Caryospora cf. regentensis Daszak et Ball, 2001 is reported from Dendroaspis angusticeps (Smith, 1849) and two additional forms of Caryospora Léger, 1904 are reported and morphologically characterised from a single specimen of Psammophis orientalis Broadley, 1977. Systematic status of Caryospora spp. in sub-Saharan Psammophis Boie, 1827 is discusses and all species reported by various authors to date are suggested to be treated as species inquirendae until more detailed data on these parasites and their hosts are available.

Fecal samples from 10 pygmy chameleons, Rampholeon temporalis (Matschie, 1892), an endemic species of the Usambara Mountains in northeastern Tanzania, were examined for coccidian parasites. Two (20%) chameleons were found to be passing oocysts of Eimerio Schneider. Comparison with other species of Eimeria indicates that the coccidian found represents a new species. Sporulated oocysts of Eimeria hajeki n. sp. are oval, 30.2 (29-31) by 23.5 (22-25) microm, with a shape index (length/width) of 1.3 (1.2-1.4) and a 2-microm-thick rough, bilayered wall. Micropyle and polar granule are absent. Sporocysts are oval to rhomboidal, 10.8 (9-11.5) by 8.8 (7.5-10) microm, with a shape index of 1.2 (1.15-1.3) and a wall composed of 2 valves joined by a suture.

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.