| Hammondia | |
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| Genus: | Hammondia |
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Hammondia is a genus ofparasiticalveolates in thephylumApicomplexa.
This genus was created in 1975. Before this date the species of this genus were confused withToxoplasma gondii to which they are closely related.[1]
Thecanid-infecting species,H. heydorni andH. triffittae, have been split into new genusHeydornia based on the molecular phylogenetic analysis.[2]
The species in this genus have two vertebrate hosts in their life cycle: a felid (the definitive host) and prey species (the intermediate host), which vary and depend on the local fauna but include mice, deer and others.
In the gastrointestinal tract of the definitive host the parasite undergoes sexual reproduction, forms a zygote which after some divisions forms a cyst that is excreted. The cyst is subsequently ingested by the prey species in whom the parasite decysts and invades its tissues wherein it again multiplies and encysts. After ingestion of the tissues of the prey species by the definitive host the parasite again decysts and multiplies. It also undergoes sexual reproduction before encysting again.
The genome ofHammondia hammondi has been sequenced.[3]
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