Besnoitia species (Protozoa, Sporozoa, Toxoplasmatidae): recognition of cyclic transmission by cats.
Isosporan oocysts, measuring 13 by 16 micrometers, from a cat in Hawaii produced Besnoitia cysts in tissues of mice and rats. Feeding these cysts to cats led to oocyst shedding after 11 to 13 days, continuing for a mean of 11 days. This indicates a two-host cycle for Besnoitia, adding an intestinal phase and oocyst production by a carnivore to the already known tissue stages. Thus a representative of Besnoitia, similar to other species in cattle, horses, reindeer, impala, other mammals, and reptiles, has been shown to be a coccidian of cats, capable of being spread by fecal contamination. Besnoitia is the fourth mammalian tissue parasite, together with Toxoplasma, Hammondia, and Sarcocystis, found to produce isosporan-type oocysts.
D000818:Animals; D016782:Apicomplexa / Q000254:growth & development; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000469:parasitology / Q000635:transmission*; D002415:Cats; D004199:Disease Vectors; D004463:Ecology; D056890:Eukaryota / Q000254:growth & development; D051379:Mice; D011528:Protozoan Infections / Q000635:transmission*; D051381:Rats; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000254:growth & development