Studies on globidial schizonts in the abomasum of Norwegian sheep. The fine structure of one of the four merozoite forms investigated.

Norwegian sheep were investigated for globidial schizont infection in the abomasum. The frequency of infection was found to be 78.2 Light microscope studies of the various mature schizonts revealed the existence of four morphologically different merozoites, small A, small B, intermediate and long forms. Each globidial schizont was found to contain only one form of these merozoites. However, these four schizont types occurred in the same abomasum. The intermediate form of globidial schizont merozoites was investigated by the aid of an electron microscope, with the aim of comparing its internal morphology with that previously published for Eimeria species. A striking resemblance was observed between the fine structures of the intermediate merozoite and that of Eimeria species, particularly the first generation merozoites described in giant schizonts of Eimeria bovis. The present status of globidial schizonts infecting the abomasum of sheep was discussed. It was concluded that these four forms of merozoites could represent different generations of one Eimeria species or different E. species producing giant schizonts in the abomasum. Due to the practical difficulties in studying the life histories of the different Eimeria species infecting sheep, it was proposed that the in vitro propagation of the individual species in cultured cells may shed some light on the corresponding asexual, as well as the sexual, stages. This would offer a new approach to the study of the ultra-structure of the developing parasite.