Besnoitia bennetti
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| Besnoitia bennetti | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Clade: | Diaphoretickes |
| Clade: | SAR |
| Clade: | Alveolata |
| Phylum: | Apicomplexa |
| Class: | Conoidasida |
| Order: | Eucoccidiorida |
| Family: | Sarcocystidae |
| Genus: | Besnoitia |
| Species: | B. bennetti |
| Binomial name | |
| Besnoitia bennetti (Bennett, 1927) Babudieri, 1932 | |
Besnoitia bennetti is a parasite that can cause besnoitiosis infections in donkeys. The range of this organism ranges from Africa to the United States.[1][2] B. bennettii shares similar characteristics with Toxoplasma, Neospora, and Sarcocystis genera.[3] Lab work on B. bennetti is conducted at biosafety level 1.[4]
Besnoitia bennetti originated in Africa, causing besnoitiosis in donkeys and horses there.[2] Currently, the organism exists in Sudan, South Africa, France, the Pyrenees, Mexico, and the United States.[5] The first recorded infection of this species was documented in 1927 in Sudan. The species was believed to have spread from the Nuba Mountains.[5][4] The first documented case in the United States occurred in 1957, when the species was found in the skin of burros.[5]