A new Eimeria species parasitic in western barred bandicoots, Perameles bougainville (Marsupialia: Peramelidae), in Western Australia

Bennett, M.D., Woolford, L., O'Hara, A.J., Nicholls, P.K., Warren, K.S. and Hobbs, R.P. (2006) A new Eimeria species parasitic in western barred bandicoots, Perameles bougainville (Marsupialia: Peramelidae), in Western Australia. Journal of Parasitology, 92 (6). pp. 1292-1294.

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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) mcm, 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) mcm thick. Sporocysts are ovoid, 9.1 x 7.0 (8.1-10.8 x 6.1-8.6) mcm, 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.