Academic Press The Biology and Identification of the Coccidia (Apicomplexa) of Carnivores of the World

The fundamental concept of The Biology and Identification of the Coccidia (Apicomplexa) of Carnivores of the World is to provide an up-to-date reference guide to the identification, taxonomy, and known biology of apicomplexan intestinal and tissue parasites of carnivores including, but not limited to, geographic distribution, prevalence, sporulation, prepatent and patent periods, site(s) of infection in the definitive and (if known) intermediate hosts, endogenous development, cross-transmission, pathology, phylogeny, and (if known) their treatments. These data will allow easy parasite recognition with a summation of virtually everything now known about the biology of each parasite species covered. The last (very modest) and only treatise published on this subject was in 1981 so this book fills a fundamental gap in our knowledge of what is now known, and what is not, about the coccidian parasites that infect and sometimes kill carnivores and/or their prey that can harbor intermediate stages, including many domestic and game animals. Offers line drawings and photomicrographs of many parasite species that will allow easy diagnosis and identification by both laypersons and professionals (veterinarians, wildlife biologists, etc.) Presents a complete historical rendition of all known publications on carnivore coccidia for all carnivore families and evaluates the scientific and scholarly merit of each apicomplexan species relative to the current body of knowledge Provides a complete species analysis and their known biology of all coccidia described from each carnivore lineage and species Reviews the most current taxonomy of carnivores and their phylogenetic relationships to help assess host-specificity patterns that may be apparent Evaluates what little cross-transmission work is available to help understand the complexities of those coccidians that use two hosts (e.g., Sarcocystis, Besnoitia, and others) Provides known treatments for the various parasite genera/species Review The first and only taxonomic guide to apicomplexan parasites of carnivores that allows easy parasite identification with a summation of virtually everything known about the biology of each known parasite species About the Author Dr. Duszynski, is Professor Emeritus Biology and past Chair of the Department of Biology, The University of New Mexico (UNM). He spent 33 years in academia, publishing numerous articles, monographs, and books, secured private, state and federal grants exceeding $8 million, and mentored > 25 masters and doctoral students and numerous undergraduates in his laboratory, before spending 8 years in administration. During his 41 year tenure at UNM, he taught many courses including parasitology, tropical biology and marine invertebrate biology, and took >1000 students to the neotropics (Belize, Jamaica, Mexico). Don has been a Visiting Research Associate Professor, Department of Physiology & Biochemistry, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, a Visiting Associate Professor, Department of Microbiology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, and Visiting Research Scholar, Kyoto University, Japan. Among the honors received are the Distinguished Service Award and the Clark P. Read Mentor Award from the American Society of Parasitologists (ASP), and the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the Department of Biology, Colorado State University. Dr. Kvičerová has been focusing for more than 10 years on morphology, taxonomy, and phylogenetic evolutionary and population-genetics research on several model systems of apicomplexan parasites, particularly on eimerians in mammals and haemogregarines in reptile hosts. Her research is mainly related to the areas of coevolutionary studies between host and parasites, and to the host-specificity of apicomplexans. She has participated in several grant projects focused on all of these topics and is a mentor of both graduate and undergraduate s