Sensitive quantitative detection of Besnoitia darlingi and related parasites in intermediate hosts and to assess felids as definitive hosts for known and as-yet undescribed related parasite species

摘要

and are closely related coccidian parasites with cats as definitive hosts. While uses opossums as intermediate hosts, and have been described in Southern Plains woodrats ( ) from the USA and in domestic rabbits from Argentina, respectively. A comparison of the Internal Transcribed Spacer-1 (ITS-1) region of the ribosomal DNA (rDNA) of these spp. showed only a few differences. The present study aimed at developing a real-time PCR to detect and in tissues of intermediate and in faeces of definitive hosts in order to support studies of these organisms’ epidemiology and pathogenesis.