Folia Parasitologica 48[3] 178-186 (2001) | DOI: 10.14411/fp.2001.030

The development and fine structure of Lankesterella cf. dicroglossi (Apicomplexa: Lankesterellidae) infecting frogs in Niger, West Africa

Ilan Paperna¹, Coralie Martin²

¹ Department of Animal Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 76-100, Israel

² Laboratoire de Biologie Parasitaire, Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, 61 Rue Buffon, 75231 Paris cedex 05, France

One of four Hoplobatrachus occipitalis (Günther, 1859) frogs received from Niger, West Africa was heavily infected with Lankesterella blood and pre-erythrocytic stages. Infected blood and tissues from this frog were force-fed to the remaining three frogs. Two survived to necropsy on days 14 and 27 post-feeding and were found to be infected with gamogonic and oogonic stages, respectively. The source of infection is inconclusive, as a natural origin cannot be excluded. Microgamont, macrogamont, oocyst and sporozoite structure and fine structure are described and found to conform in general, but not in detail, to previous descriptions. Gamonts and oocysts occurred predominantly in the liver and spleen. Walled sporulating oocysts were situated within macrophage centres. Oocysts yielded a progeny of 32 sporozoites. Pre-erythrocytic sporozoites developed within expanded inclusions, within their host cell, from which they massively invaded the liver and spleen, and to a lesser extent the lungs and kidneys. Sporozoites occurred in a parasitophorous vacuole in the erythrocytes. Conspecificity with Lankesterella dicroglossi Paperna et Ogara, 1996 reported from the same host species in Kenya remains uncertain due to several structural and developmental differences.

Keywords: Lankesterella cf. dicroglossi, infection, ultrastructure, frog, Hoplobatrachus occipitalis, Niger, Africa

Received: July 20, 2000; Accepted: November 30, 2000; Published: September 1, 2001  Show citation