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Title: REDESCRIPTION OF HAMMONDIA HAMMONDI AND ITS DIFFERENTIATION FROM TOXOPLASMA GONDII

Author
item Dubey, Jitender
item SREEKUMAR, CHIRUKANDOTH - USDA, ARS, APDL

Submitted to: International Journal for Parasitology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/21/2003
Publication Date: 6/20/2003
Citation: Dubey, J.P., Sreekumar, C. 2003. Redescription of hammondia hammondi and its differentiation from toxoplasma gondii. International Journal for Parasitology 33:1436-1453.

Interpretive Summary: Hammondia hammondi and Toxoplasma gondii are two single-celled similar parasites of livestock. Toxoplasma gondii causes abortions in livestock and mental retardation in children. Scientists at the Beltsville Agriculture Research Center have described criteria to distinguish these parasites. These results will be of interest to biologists, parasitologists, veterinarians and public health workers.

Technical Abstract: Hammondia hammondi is a protozoan parasite that, until 1975, was misidentified as Toxoplasma gondii. Recently, the validity of H. hammondi has been questioned. In this article, the authors redescribe the parasite and its life cycle, provide accession numbers to its specimens deposited in a museum, and distinguish it structurally and biologically from T. gondii. H. hammondi was found to be structurally, biologically, and molecularly different from T. gondii.