Light and electron microscopic studies of eimeria magna infecting the domestic Rabbit, Oryctolagus cuniculus from Saudi Arabia: I. Asexual devlopmental cycles

Abstract

Schizogonic stages of asexual developmental cycles of Eimeria magna experimentally infecting the domestic rabbit, Oryctolagus cuniculus in Saudi Arabia, were described and diagnosed by light and electron microscopy. Five asexual cycles or generations were observed mainly in the columnar epitheial cells of the small intestinal villi. Two types of mature schizonts in the five generations were described; schizonts type-a (microschizonts) producing small number of large macromerozoites and schizonts type-b (macroschizonts) giving rise to large number of small micromerozoites. Meerozoites of the five generations were formed by ectomerogony. The ultrastructural characteristic features of the merozoites of the five generations are all similar and have all the typical characteristics of Apicomplexa.