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Abstract
Macroscopically visible spherical cysts measuring up to 260/μm in diameter and showing characteristics typical of those of the genus Besnoitia were observed in rats dosed with isosporan oocysts recovered from the faeces of a feral cat. Kittens fed these rats shed similar oocysts measuring 16.9 ± 0.1 × 14.6 ± 0.1 μm in their faeces 11–12days later. The feeding of sporulated oocysts of this coccidian to mice, rats, rabbits and guinea pigs resulted in the formation of Besnoitia cystsin all hosts except the last.
Besnoitia is the fourth sporozoan genus, together with Isospora, Toxoplasma, and Sarcocystis to be recovered from New Zealand cats.