Besnoitia jellisoni (Sporozoa: Toxoplasmea) in Rodents from Utah and California

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Cysts of B. jellison were found in 36 of 196 Dipodomys ordii and 9 of 36 D. microps from Utah, and 3 of 7 D. merriam from California. Only adult and young adult animals were infected. Twenty Peromyscus maniculatus collected in Utah and 19 Perognathus formosus collected in California were not infected. The cysts in the kangaroo rats appeared as white spherical bodies ranging in size from 329 to 586 [mu]. The cysts were foundin the subcutaneous tissue, in the abdominal mesenteries, and in the connective tissue covering the abdominal,and reproductive organs; cysts were also found within these organs. In many infected animals cysts were embedded in the bones of the skull; small pits, often completely perforating the bones were associated with these cysts. No clinical signs associated with B. jellisoni infections were seen in kangaroo rats kept in captivity. No evidence of reduced longevity was observed in the animals found to be infected.