Soviet Medical Encyclopedia

Hepatozoon

Parasitology, Infectious Diseases

Also known as: Haemogregarina muris

Historical document, translated for reference. It reflects medical knowledge of the 1920s–30s and is not medical advice.

Summary

Hepatozoon is a genus of protozoan parasites infecting rats, with its sexual cycle occurring in mites such as Laelaps echidninus. Rats become infected by ingesting these mites, after which the parasites undergo schizogony in the liver.

Encyclopedia entry (1928–1936)

HEPATOZOON (Miller, 1908), synonym Haemogregarina muris, a haemogregarine parasite living in rats. It is transmitted by mites Laelaps echidninus, in which the sexual cycle takes place. Rats become infected by eating infected mites.

Hepatozoon: figure 1 from the 1928–1936 encyclopedia article

In this process, sporozoites penetrate from the intestine of the mites into the intestinal wall of the rats and are carried via the blood to the liver, where their schizogony takes place, with up to 20 merozoites formed from each schizont.

Cite this page

“Hepatozoon.” Soviet Medical Encyclopedia. English translation of Bolshaya Meditsinskaya Entsiklopediya, 1st ed. (Moscow, 1928–1936), ed. N. A. Semashko. https://sovietmedicalencyclopedia.pages.dev/article/hepatozoon/