Sarcocystis atheridis sp nov., a new sarcosporidian coccidium from Nitsche's bush viper, Atheris nitschei Tornier, 1902, from Uganda

Transmission experiments were performed to elucidate the life cycle of a Sa rcocystis sp. found in a Nitsche's bush viper, Atheris nitschei nitschei (S erpentes: Viperidae), from Uganda. Sporocysts measuring 10.4 (10.0-11.0) x 8.0 (7.0-8.5) mu m were given to laboratory mice (Crl: CD1), laboratory rat s (Wistar H), and Barbary striped mice, Lemniscomys barbarus. Sarcocysts de veloped in the skeletal muscles of laboratory mice and L. barbarus. No sarc ocyst was observed in laboratory rats. Merogony was observed in the liver o f L. barbarus at 7 and 12 days postinfection. Mature sarcocysts in mice rea ched a length of 30 mm and did not exceed 0.9 mm in diameter at 121 DPI. Th e primary sarcocyst wall was 0.6-0.8 mu m thick and displayed small osmioph ilic knob-like protrusions that were up to 150 nm long and 90 nm wide. Two types of asexual multiplication, endodyogony and endopolygony, were found w ithin sarcocysts. Our results indicate that the newly found Sarcocystis rep resents a new species.