A guideline for the preparation of species descriptions in the Eimeriidae.

Members of the suborder Eimeriina (phylum Apicomplexa: class Sporozoea: order Eucoccidiorida) have complex 1 or 2 host life cycles that involve endogenous development in the tissues of vertebrates or invertebrates and exogenous development in an oocyst, usually outside the host(s). Because tissue stages are logistically difficult or even impossible to obtain in natural (wild) host-parasite systems, the vast majority (> 98%) of species in this parasite complex are known only from the structure of their sporulated oocyst. Unfortunately, the quality of these species descriptions is uneven because no guidelines are available for workers in the field to follow. Here we propose a specific set of guidelines for the preparation of species descriptions of coccidia based predominently on the structure of the sporulated oocyst, because the oocyst is the most readily available stage in the life cycle. In addition, we emphasize that ancillary data be incorporated whenever possible with the species description; these data may include, but are not limited to, ecological parameters, prevalence, seasonal data, and the deposition of both host symbiotypes and parasite hepantotypes (= phototypes) into accredited musecums so that accurate identification of both host and parasite material can be assured in perpetuity. And finally, if oocysts are collected in pure suspension, that is, if only one coccidian species (morphotype) is present in the sample, then some oocysts should be saved in 70% ethanol and archived in an accredited museum in the event that future workers might wish to amplify and, later, sequence the parasite's DNA.

Hemorrhagic gastritis in free-living rodents in Idaho.

Between February 1992 and March 1994, four species of rodent from the Snake River Birds of Prey Area near Boise, Idaho (USA) were necropsied. Hemorrhagic gastritis was observed in 16 of 131 Townsend's ground squirrels (Spermophilus townsendii), one of 11 Ord's kangaroo rats (Dipodomys ordii) and the one Great Basin pocket mouse (Perognathus parvus) evaluated. No lesions were observed in 14 white-footed deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus). Tissue from one Townsend's ground squirrel was negative for Helicobacter sp.-like bacteria.

Coccidia of the collared peccary (Tayassu tajacu) in southern Texas with descriptions of three new species of Eimeria (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae).

In February 1993, fresh fecal samples were collected from 47 collared peccaries (Tayassu tajacu) killed by hunters at the Chaparral Wildlife Management Area, southern Texas, USA. Five species of coccidia (Eimeria chaparralensis n. sp. [9/47, 19%], Eimeria dicotylensis n. sp. [21/47, 21%], Eimeria pecari n. sp. [2/47, 4%], Eimeria sp. [1/47, 2%], and Klossia sp. [1/47, 2%]) were observed. Measurements are in micron. Sporulated oocysts of E. chaparralensis are rough-walled, elongate ovoidal, 43.3 x 28.5 (37-52 x 26-35); sporocysts are elongate ellipsoidal 21.8 x 9.0 (16-27 x 7-12); micropyle (approximately 4.9), Stieda, and substieda body are present; sporocyst residuum is present in newly sporulated oocysts; polar granule and oocyst residuum are absent. Sporulated oocysts of E. dicotylensis are smooth-walled, ovoidal, 25.7 x 20.1 (23-29 x 17-23); sporocysts are ellipsoidal 13.0 x 6.9 (11-17 x 6-9); micropyle and oocyst residuum are absent; polar body sometimes present; Stieda body and sporocyst residuum always present. Sporulated oocysts of E. pecari are smooth-walled, elongate ellipsoidal, 26.8 x 18.1 (22-31 x 15-21); sporocysts are elongate ellipsoidal 16.4 x 5.9 (13-22 x 4-7); micropyle (approximately 5.8) with collar, Stieda body, substieda body, and sporocyst residuum are present; polar granule and small oocyst residuum sometimes present. There were no sex or age differences in prevalences of infection, and there were no positive or negative associations between any species of eimerian. The majority of hosts were infected with a single species of Eimeria. Overall prevalence of infection with eimerians was 23/47 (49%).

Caryospora simplex (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) from a captive Kaznakov's viper (Vipera kaznakovi).

Caryospora simplex is reported for the first time from the feces of a captive female Kaznakov's viper (Vipera kaznakovi) in Albuquerque, New Mexico (USA). Coccidian meronts and gamonts were observed in the intestinal epithelial cells of another female Kaznakov's viper that died in October 1993.

A new coccidian (Apicomplexa: eimeriidae) in the northern pocket gopher (Thomomys talpoides) and a comparison of oocyst survival in hosts from radon-rich and radon-poor soils.

Forty (93%) of 43 northern pocket gophers (Thomomys talpoides) from the Jemez Mountains, Sandoval County, New Mexico (USA), had coccidian oocysts in their feces when examined. We describe this parasite, Eimeria jemezi, n. sp. Sporulated oocysts were subspheroidal, 13.3 by 12.2 (10 to 17 by 9 to 15) microns, with sporocysts ellipsoidal, 7.1 by 4.4 (5 to 9 by 4 to 5) microns; micropyle and oocyst residuum were absent, but polar bodies, Stieda bodies and sporocyst residua were present. All gophers were collected from two sites of similar habitat 7 km apart. One site (R+) had a high soil radon content (> or = 50 to 70 picocuries (pCi) per liter of air) whereas the other site (R-) had soils that were near average natural levels (1.2 to 1.6 pCi/g uranium nucleotides per gram of soil; < 1.9 pCi/g thorium nucleotides). Twenty-one (88%) of 24 gophers from the R+ site had coccidian oocysts in their intestines when examined, but none of these oocysts ever sporulated, whereas all 19 (100%) gophers from the R- site had coccidian oocysts in their intestines and 16 (84%) of these samples sporulated normally under laboratory conditions. The elevated radon content of the soil may have had an adverse effect on the sporulation of this coccidian while it still was intracellular within its host.

Two new species and temporal changes in the prevalence of eimerians in a free-living population of Townsend's ground squirrels (Spermophilus townsendii) in Idaho.

More than 1,180 fecal samples were collected from 253 juvenile and 384 adult Townsend's ground squirrels (Spermophilus townsendii) at the Snake River Birds of Prey Area near Boise, Idaho, from February to June 1992. Oocysts of 7 eimerians were observed. Five are new host records (Eimeria beecheyi, Eimeria bilamellata, Eimeria callospermophili, Eimeria lateralis, and Eimeria morainensis), 2 species are described here as new, and new structural information on E. morainensis is added. Sporulated oocysts of Eimeria adaensis n. sp. are ovoidal, 19.6 x 22.7 (16-22 x 18-26) microns with sporocysts ellipsoidal 7.2 x 11.9 (6-10 x 9-15) microns. No micropyle or oocyst residuum, but polar bodies, Stieda bodies, and sporocyst residua are present. Sporulated oocysts of Eimeria pseudospermophili n. sp. are ovoidal, 24.7 x 28.5 (21-27 x 25-32) microns with sporocysts ellipsoidal 8.8 x 14.2 (8-10 x 12-17) microns. Micropyle and oocyst residuum are absent, but polar bodies and Stieda bodies are present. Sporulated oocysts of E. morainensis are more variable in size and shape than originally described and contain 2 distinctly different residua not previously described. Temporal changes in the prevalence of eimerians of all 7 species combined in adult squirrels showed significant decline (r2 = 0.79, P < 0.001). We hypothesize that this decline was due to drought during the period of squirrel activity. No significant temporal change in the prevalence of eimerians in juvenile squirrels was observed. The prevalence of E. callospermophili, E. adaensis, and all eimerians combined in adults was significantly greater than in juveniles.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)