PRELIMINARY FINDINGS FROM AN EXPERIMENTAL-STUDY OF CAPRINE BESNOITIOSIS IN KENYA

Inoculation of cystozoites obtained from natural, chronic cases of cap rine besnoitiosis produced clinical disease in goats but not in rabbit s, mice, guinea pigs, hamsters, rats or cattle. Histological examinati on of tissue sections from the experimental animals showed Besnoitia c ysts only in goats. This, together with field observations that cattle reared together with goats having besnoitiosis do not contract the di sease, suggests that the Besnoitia species that infects goats in Kenya is host-specific and is not Besnoitia besnoiti. We suggest that the n ame Besnoitia caprae be adopted for the caprine pathogen.