Further characterization of the biology of Hammondia heydorni

Abstract

Hammondia heydorni oocysts, recovered from the diarrheic feces of a dog suffering from corticosteroid toxicosis, were sporulated and characterized morphometrically. Sporulated H. heydorni oocysts were administered to three dogs, five goats, a calf and three guineapigs, and tissues from these inoculated animals fed to coccidia-free dogs to determine species susceptibility to H. heydorni. Morphometric characteristics of H. heydorni oocysts were similar to previous descriptions. Oocysts were not excreted in the feces of dogs inoculated with oocysts. Dogs fed tissues from goats killed 14, 28 or 42 days after inoculation (d.a.i.) with oocysts excreted H. heydorni oocysts in their feces after consuming goat tissues. Dogs fed tissues from a calf killed at 28 d.a.i., and from goats killed 21 and 56 d.a.i., did not excrete oocysts in their feces. Developmental stages of H. heydorni were not observed in histologic sections of tissues from any of the animals.