Life Cycle
The rabbits ingest sporulated oocysts. Sporulated oocysts contain four sporozoites that hatch and travel via the hepatic portal vein to the liver, and eventually penetrate the bile duct epithelium, where they undergo asexual reproduction known schizogony. Rupture of the schizont consequently causes epithelial cell rupture and death. Merozoites will penetrate other cells and create more merozoites for one to several rounds. Eventually, a merozoite becomes a male microgamecyte and asexually reproduces in epithelial cells. A ruptured microgamecyte infects a cell with the female macrogamecyte and through sexual reproduction create a zygote. The zygote develops a protective shell before expulsion in the bile excreation and then the feces as an oocyst.
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