Cryptosporidium spp., Giardia intestinalis, and Enterocytozoon bieneusi in Captive Non-Human Primates in Qinling Mountains

Non-human primates (NHPs) are confirmed as reservoirs of Cryptosporidium spp., Giardia intestinalis, and Enterocytozoon bieneusi. In this study, 197 fresh fecal samples from 8 NHP species in Qinling Mountains, northwestern China, were collected and examined using multilocus sequence typing (MLST) method. The results showed that 35 (17.8%) samples were positive for tested parasites, including Cryptosporidium spp. (3.0%), G. intestinalis (2.0%), and E. bieneusi (12.7%). Cryptosporidium spp. were detected in 6 fecal samples of Macaca mulatta, and were identified as C. parvum (n=1) and C. andersoni (n=5). Subtyping analysis showed Cryptosporidium spp. belonged to the C. andersoni MLST subtype (A4, A4, A4, and A1) and C. parvum 60 kDa glycoprotein (gp60) subtype IId A15G2R1. G. intestinalis assemblage E was detected in 3 M. mulatta and 1 Saimiri sciureus. Intra-variations were observed at the triose phosphate isomerase (tpi), beta giardin (bg), and glutamate dehydrogenase (gdh) loci, with 3, 1, and 2 new subtypes found in respective locus. E. bieneusi was found in Cercopithecus neglectus (25.0%), Papio hamadrayas (16.7%), M. mulatta (16.3%), S. sciureus (10%), and Rhinopithecus roxellana (9.5%), with 5 ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) genotypes: 2 known genotypes (D and BEB6) and 3 novel genotypes (MH, XH, and BSH). These findings indicated the presence of zoonotic potential of Cryptosporidium spp. and E. bieneusi in NHPs in Qinling Mountains. This is the first report of C. andersoni in NHPs. The present study provided basic information for control of cryptosporidiosis, giardiasis, and microsporidiosis in human and animals in this area.

Heterosporis anguillarum infections in farm cultured eels (Anguilla japonica) in Korea

Ten eels (Anguilla japonica) from a fish farm in Korea were examined and diagnosed with a Heterosporis infection. The gross lesions on the trunk were uneven and the concave parts were pasty. Histopathologically, lyses of the trunk muscles, degenerative muscle fibers and the scattered spores were observed. The sporophorocyst (SPC) contained several spores with a variety of shapes. Some SPC were disrupted and the spores in the SPC were scattered in the muscle tissues. Macrophages existed near the scattered spores. Electron microscopy revealed special structures such as sporophorocyst containing various developmental parasitic stages such as meronts, sporonts, sporophorous vesicles and spores.

Chronic microsporidial stromal keratitis in an immunocompetent, non-contact lens wearer.

An 82-year-old healthy man with unilateral chronic stromal keratitis, initially diagnosed to have viral keratitis and refractory to medical therapy, showed numerous oval, microsporidial organisms, measuring 4-5 m in length in the corneal biopsy. Penetrating keratoplasty, followed by treatment with systemic albendazole and topical propamidine isethionate resulted in resolution of the infection. Electron microscopy of the keratoplasty specimen demonstrated sporoblasts with diplokaryotic nuclei and multiple coils of the filament. The light and electron microscopic features were consistent with microsporidial keratitis.

Infecçöes oportunistas por protozoários parasitos - uma revisäo sobre Cryptosporidium parvum, Cyclospora cayetanensis, Isospora belli e microsporídios / Opportunistic infections caused by protozoan parasites - a review of cryptosporidium parvum, cyclospora cayetanensis, isospora belli e microsporidios

Cryptosporidium parvum, Cyclospora cayetanensis, Isospora belli e várias espécies de microsporídios säo reconhecidos atualmente como protozoários parasitos emergentes e oportunistas para o homem. Os organismos membros dos grupos de coccídios e microsporídios, com ampla distribuiçäo geográfica, säo reportados também com aumento de freqüência nas populaçöes de imunocompetentes e imunocompromissados. Esses parasitos säo transmitidos, principalmente, pela água, mas säo descritas infecçöes através dos alimentos. Os organismos säo responsáveis por surtos agudos de diarréia com várias outras seqüelas relacionadas com a doença. Os coccídios incluem três gêneros - Cryptosporidium, Cyclospora e Isospora. Os dois últimos säo de menor importância em termos de mortalidade e morbidade. Os microsporídios incluem gêneros (Enterocytozoon, Encephalitozoon) que somente agora estäo sendo reconhecidos como importantes agentes de doenças. As mais importantes rotas de transmissäo dos microsporídios no homem é a ingestäo ou inalaçäo de esporos. Diferentemente dos coccídios, esses organismos estäo mais restritos às populaçöes de imunocomprometidos. O aumento da incidência e o número de pacientes com diarréia prolongada devida a esses parasitos indicam a necessidade de aumentar a vigilância clínica relacionada com prevençäo, diagnóstico e tratamento.

Using pig biliary system, in vivo propagation of Enterocytozoon bieneusi, an AIDS-related zoonotic pathogen

A microsporidian parasite Enterocytozoon bieneusi is the most common microorganism recognized in AIDS patients, and slow scientific progress is attributed to our inability to propagate the parasite. We report upon the development of a system of propagation using the pig biliary system. The parasite spores were continuously detected in the bile samples post onset of spore shedding in the gall bladder, which suggests that this organism maintain persistent infection in the biliary system and that the hepatobiliary tree may represent a reservoir of infection. In conclusion the biliary tree is an adequate niche for the propagation of E. bieneusi. This work has also resulted in the development of a procedure of ultrasound-guided cholecystocentesis for aspirating biles. This is a simple and non-surgical procedure, and creates no signs of clinical complications in the livers and the gall bladders after dozens of separate attempts. Thus, this is a very useful and safe technique for the aspiration of bile from live animals.

Microsporidia and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome

Microsporidia is a common term that has been used to refer to a group of eukaryotic, obligate intracellular protozoan parasites belonging to the phylum Microspora. They are important agricultural parasites, contaminating commercial insects; they are also important by infecting laboratory rodents, rabbits and primates. Ever since the early cases found by Magarino Torres, who reported the presence of Encephalitozoon in a patient suffering of a meningoencephalomyelitis, some human pathology caused by microsporidia has been described. However, only after the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome outbreak have these organisms appeared as significant etiological agents in different pathologies. Even so, they remain underestimated. In the present article, the importance of microsporidia for the human pathology in immunocompromised host has been stressed

Aplicaçäo do método de coloraçäo tricrômica, em fezes diarréicas de infectados pelo HIV, para pesquisa de microsporídios / Trichrome staining method applied in stools from HIV-infected patients with diarrhorea, for microsporidia investigation

Os microsporídios säo implicados em várias manifestaçöes clínicas em pacientes com AIDS; os quadros diarréicos säo os mais comuns. O diagnóstico das microsporidioses dependia da microscopia eletrônica para exame de materiais obtidos por procedimentos invasivos. A técnica de coloraçäo tricrômica modificada permite o diagnóstico sem necessidade deste procedimento, através da microscopia óptica. No presente estudo foi aplicado o método de coloraçäo tricromica em fezes de 62 pacientes com diarréia, infectados pelo HIV ou com AIDS. Das 62 amostras, identificou-se esporos de microsporídios em uma. O trabalho corrobora a presença destes protozoários em nosso meio, associada a quadros de diarréia crônica em pacientes com AIDS e grave comprometimento imunológico, constata que este método de coloraçäo promove satisfatória visualizaçäo de esporos de microsporídios em fezes e aponta caminhos para novos estudos

Microsporidiasis en pacientes con SIDA y diarrea crónica. Experiencia en el Instituto Nacional de la Nutrición "Salvador Zubirán" / Microsporidiasis in a patient with AIDS and chronic diarrhea. Experience in the Instituto Nacional de la Nutricion Salvador Zubiran

Antecedentes. Microsporidium sp. se ha considerado una causa poco frecuente de diarrea en pacientes con SIDA. Sin embargo, el uso de algunas tinciones histoquímicas en la evaluación de las biopsias de intestino delgado, ha evidenciado incremento en su prevalencia. En México no existe información sobre la prevalencia y las características anatomoclínicas de este patógeno. Diseño. Se revisaron 98 biopsias de intestino delgado teñidas con HE y Giemsa de pacientes con SIDA y diarrea crónica (enero 1987-diciembre 1994). La información clínica y de laboratorio se obtuvo de los expedientes clínicos. Resultados. En 50 pacientes se identificaron patógenos oportunistas en las biopsias de intestino delgado. Microsporidium sp. se identificó en 30 pacientes (prevalencia de 31 por ciento). En 24 de 30 se obtuvo información del expediente clínico. Todos los pacientes (17/24 hombres, 7/24 mujeres) se encontraba en estadio C3 de SIDA con edad promedio de 33 años. Los factores de riesgo para SIDA fueron homosexualidad en hombre y transfusiones en mujeres. Se identificó nivel socioeconómico bajo en 75 por ciento de los casos. La manifestación inicial de SIDA fue diarrea en 67 por ciento. La cuenta de CD4 fue < 200/mm3 en 13/24 y > 200/mm3 en 2/24. Los exámenes de heces y la interpretación inicial de la biopsia fue negativa para Microsporidium sp. En la revisión de las biopsias, se identificó inflamación linfoplasmocitaria con eosinófilos y atrofia intestinal en un alto porcentaje de casos. Las esporas se tiñeron de color rojo pálido. Conclusión. Microsporidium sp. fue frecuente en pacientes de nivel socioeconómico bajo, en estadio C3 de SIDA con cifras de CD4<200 mm3. La tinción de Giemsa es un método útil y barato para la identificación de esporas y merontes de Microsporidium sp

Enterocytozoon bieneusi (orden microsporidia, familia entrerocytozoonidae) in Costa Rica: report of the first human case in central america

The first case of microspotidiosis in Central America is describes in en AIDS patient from Costa Rica. Electronic microscopy studies indicate that the spores were not included in a parasitophorous vacuole, but they are in direct contact with the cell cytoptasm. Sporogonic proliferative plasmodial forms presence and localization of the polar tubes in the anterior region of the spore, confirmed the specie Enterocytozoon bieneusi as the cause of this microsporidian infection

Estudio morfologico de Enterocytozoon bieneusi en pacientes con SIDA y diarrhea cronica / Morphological study of Enterocytozoon bineousi in patients with AIDS and chronic diarrhea

Microsporidia are protozoan parasites responsible for significant gastrointestinal disease in patients infected with the human inmunodeficiency virus. We reporte the clinical features of three patients with chronic diarrhea and intestinal microsporidiosis caused by Enterocytozoon bieneusi. The average value for CD4 in these patients was ó 50 cells/mm3. The spores were detected in smears from stool samples and duodenal aspirates stained with trichrome blue in all patiens. Light microscopy of semithin plastic sections revealed parasites and spores in the enterocytes and were associated with villous atrophy (2 out of 3). Thin section-electron microscopy showed a variety of developmental stages of the microsporidio. Patients treated with Albendazole had an unsatisfactory clinical response to therapy. Enterocytozzon bieneusi infection may be an important cause of diarrhea in patiens with AIDS in our country.

Diarrea por Enterocytozoon bieneusi: informe de un caso pediátrico / Diarrhea caused by Enteocytozoon bieneusi: a pediatric case report

En el presente trabajo, se revisa la literatura y se presenta un caso pediátrico de gastroenteritis por Enterocytozoon bieneusi en un paciente del sexo femenino de 14 meses de edad, sin historia clínica significativa, excepto desnutrición. La paciente fue estudiada por el Servicio de Parasitología del Hospital Pediátrico de Iztacalco, de la Ciudad de México, debido a un cuadro de diarrea crónica. En las muestras fecales de la paciente, se pudo identificar, mediante microscopia de luz, de microscopia de contraste interferencia diferencial según Nomarski, usando tinciones de Ziehl Neelsen modificado y Giemsa, La presencia de esporas de E. bieneusi. La presencia de otros parásitos como helmintos, protozoos, levaduras y bacterias enteropatégenas fueron excluidas mediante examen directo en fresco de materia fecal y coprocultivo

Actualizaciones sobre microsporidiosis en el hombre / Update on microsporidiosis in man

The importance of microsporidium as an opportunistic agent in immunocompromised and AIDS patients is reviewed. Five strains of the agent have been described: Encephalitozoon, Enterocytozoon, Nosema, Pleistophora and Septata. The clinical presentation may be as 1) Generalized infections with multisystemic involvement, specially of the central nervous system; 2) Intestinal, that is the most important and frequent localization in man, and that may cause death in AIDS patients; 3) Ocular, that affects cornea, conjunctiva and may extend to paranasal sinuses; 4) Liver and biliary tract infection with granulomatous lesions, hepatic necrosis or sclerosing colangitis and 5) Muscular, affecting skeletal muscle. The diagnosis is difficult and is established finding spores in the affected tissues with light or electron microscopy. Lately, the diagnosis of intestinal microsporidiosis is made looking for faecal spores. The resistant wall of spores hampers treatment. However, good results are obtained with albendazole in intestinal microsporidiosis