title: A new eimeria species parasitic in western barred bandicoots, Perameles bougainville (Marsupialia: Peramelidae), in western Australia.
abstract: Feces from western barred bandicoots, Perameles bougainville, examined during routine monitoring of captive breeding colonies and wild populations were frequently found to contain oocysts. Fecal oocysts from 1 individual housed at Kanyana Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre were allowed to sporulate in 2% potassium dichromate (K2Cr2O7) at room temperature. Sporulated oocysts are subspheroidal 18.8 X 17.9 (16.9-21.0 x 16.0-19.9) microm, with length/width (L/W) ratio of 1.05 (1.00-1.15), lack a micropyle and oocyst residuum, but they usually have a polar granule within a smooth trilaminate oocyst wall 1.0 (0.7-1.3) microm thick. Sporocysts are ovoid, 9.1 x 7.0 (8.1-10.8 x 6.1-8.6) microm, with L/W ratio of 1.32 (1.04-1.51), have a Stieda body, sporocyst residuum, and 2 comma-shaped sporozoites, each containing 2 spheroidal refractile bodies. Sporulation takes 2-5 days at room temperature. This is the first formal description of an Eimeria species parasitic in the order Peramelemorphia.
authors.affiliation: School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, Murdoch University, South Street, Murdoch, Western Australia, Australia. m.bennett@murdoch.edu.au
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Bennett
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Woolford
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Ohara
authors.forename: P K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Nicholls
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Warren
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Hobbs
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003048:Coccidiosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D004539:Eimeria / Q000145:classification* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D008394:Marsupialia / Q000469:parasitology*; D033661:Oocysts; D015995:Prevalence; D014904:Western Australia / Q000453:epidemiology