M IC R O S P O R ID IA

Even Semester 2014

4/15/15

M icrosporidia
are unicellular obligate intracellular
have been recognized as causing

disease in animals
recognized as agents of human
disease in the mid 1980s (AIDS
pandemic ).
Currently, 15 microsporidian
species have been identified in
man, of which most, but not all, are
associated with HIV infection
Even Semester 2014

4/15/15

Nosematidea

Genera
Brachiola

Encephalitozoonidea

Encephalitozoon

Enterocytozoonidea

Enterocytozoon

Enterocytozoon bieneusi,

Microsporidea
Nosematidea
Pleistophoridea

Microsporidium
Nosema
Pleistophora

M. ceylonensis, M. africanum
N. ocularum, N. connori (syn. B connori)
Sp.

Pleistophoridea

Trachipleistophora

T. hominis, T. anthropophthera,

Nosematidea

Vittaforma

Vittaforma corneae (syn. Nosema corneum)

Family

Species
B. algerae, B. vesicularum
E. cuniculi, E. hellem, E. intestinalis (syn. Septata
intestinalis).

Lily Cheng '06, clily@stanford.edu (Stanford University)

M orphology
small, ranging from 1.5 - 2.5 mm x

2.5 - 4 mm.
oval to cylindrical and
possess a thick double-layered
spore wall
The life cycle includes repeated
divisions by asexual ( schizogoni)
and spore production (sporogony).

Even Semester 2014

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Life cycle

Source: DR Arora1, B Arora2

Indian Journal of Medical
Microbiology, Vol. 27, No. 3,
July-September, 2009.
Even Semester 2014

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Pathogenesis and Clinical

Sym ptom s
Intestinal microsporidiosis is the

most common infection caused

mainly by Enterocytozoon bieneusi
and Encephalitozoon intestinalis
Enterocytozoon bieneusi is
normally restricted to the small
intestinal enterocytes whereas E.
intestinalis spreads into the lamina
propria.

 These 2 species have been

found to spread from the

intestine along the epithelium
to the gall bladder and the
pancreatic and bile ducts.
It produces persistent diarrhea

Even Semester 2014

4/15/15

 Transmission electron micrograph of

a microsporidian spore with an

extruded polar tubule inserted into a
eukaryotic cell.

Even Semester 2014

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D iagnosis
Detection of spores in the stool

samples and the contents of the

duodenum-jejunum :
by staining with modified trichrome
stain, Giemsa or fluorescent dyes.
Electron microscopy (EM) is the "gold
standard" for confirming infection
and attempting to classify the
organisms seen in tissues
Even Semester 2014

4/15/15

Encephalitozoon intestinalis
stained w ith Calcofl
uor w hite
(CD C)

Scanning electron micrograph of a microsporidian spore

with an extruded polar tubule inserted into a eukaryotic cell.
Semester
2014 the infective sporoplasms through its
4/15/15
The Even
spore
injects
polar

Prevention
precautions when handling body

fluids and personal hygiene

measures : such as hand
washing may be important in
preventing primary infections in
health care settings.