Parasitology, Harold W. Manter Laboratory of
Date of this Version
7-1986
Abstract
Morphological variation of sporulated oocysts within individual eimerian species is well documented (Joyner, 1982. In Biology of the Coccidia, P. L. Long (ed.). University Park Press, Baltimore, pp. 35-62). In some cases, oocysts of a single eimerian species are known to vary in size by as much as 40% during patency (Duszynski, 1971, Journal of Parasitology 57: 948-952). During a survey to determine the prevalence of coccidiosis in sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis) wintering in New Mexico (Parker and Duszynski, 1986, Journal of Wildlife Diseases 21: 25-35), marked polymorphism was observed among sporulated oocysts of Eimeria reichenowi. Oocysts were obtained from intestinal contents of cranes necropsied in the field and processed for study by routine sporulation and flotation techniques (Duszynski et al., 1982, Journal of Parasitology 68: 1,146-1,148). Initially, oocysts were categorized into 5 groups based on obvious qualitative/quantitative features including oocyst wall texture, appearance of the sporocyst residuum, and the number of polar bodies. Fifty-seven of 118 (48%) fecal samples with E. reichenowi contained 2 or more morphological types of oocysts. Oocysts were measured under oil immersion (100 x Neofluar objective, Zeiss Universal Photomicroscope) and differences between the 5 oocyst groups were tested for significance (P <0.05) using the Student-Newman-Keuls procedure.
Comments
Published in the Journal of Parasitology (August 1986) 72(4): 602-604. Copyright 1986, the American Society of Parasitologists. Used by permission.