Hepatozoon kisrae n. sp. infecting the lizard Agama stellio is transmitted by the tick Hyalomma cf. aegyptium.
Hepatozoon kisrae n. sp. was found infecting a starred lizard at a site in southeastern Samaria, Palestine. These lizards were also hosts to the ixodid tick Hyalomma cf. aegyptium, which was demonstrated to be the vector of this hemogregarine. Hepatozoon and tick infections occurred in lizards within a very restricted locality; at a second site, nearby, ticks occurred without Hepatozoon infection. Micro- and macromeronts occurred mainly in the lungs, while cyst-like merogonic stages, mainly dizoic, occurred in the liver. Mature intraerythrocytic gametocytes were stout and encapsulated. Development from oocysts to sporocysts took place in the tick hemocoel, and was examined by transmission electron microscopy. Lizards were successfully infected when fed on sporocyst-infected ticks or viscera of infected lizards. Ticks become infected when fed on infected lizards; sporogony was complete when the ticks reached adult stage, over 40 days after initial attachment.
Paperna
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Department of Animal Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 76-100, Israel. paperna@agri.huji.ac.il
Kremer-Mecabell
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Finkelman
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D000821:Animal Feed; D000818:Animals; D001096:Arachnid Vectors / Q000469:parasitology*; D003048:Coccidiosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary*; D016783:Eucoccidiida / Q000145:classification / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005260:Female; D005506:Food Contamination; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D018884:Ixodes / Q000469:parasitology*; D007814:Larva; D008018:Life Cycle Stages; D008099:Liver / Q000469:parasitology; D008109:Liver Diseases, Parasitic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008116:Lizards / Q000469:parasitology*; D008168:Lung / Q000469:parasitology; D008174:Lung Diseases, Parasitic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D018512:Parasitemia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary; D013984:Tick Infestations / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*