Microsporidia are unicellular eukaryotes occurring as obligate intracellular parasites which produce resistant spores. A unique motile process is represented by the sudden extrusion of the sporal polar tube for initiating entry of the parasite into a new host cell. The complete sequence of an acidic proline-rich polar tube protein (renamed PTP1) has been previously reported for Encephalitozoon ...

Rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) are frequently reared for meat production in China. The aim of this study was to assess the seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii and Encephalitozoon cuniculi, and risk factors of infection in domestic rabbits raised in Henan province, central China. 1,213 serum samples of domestic rabbits were collected and tested for anti-T. gondii and anti-E. cuniculi antibodies...

Thoracic fluid from 206 and 220 foxes were examined for antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum using indirect immunofluorescent antibody tests (IFAT). A total 115 (56%) and six (3%) foxes had antibodies to T. gondii and N. caninum respectively. The brains from 148 foxes were examined for histological lesions and pathological changes suggestive of parasitic encephalitis were observ...

CD8+ T-cell immunity has been shown to play an important role in the protective immune response against Encephalitozoon cuniculi. Although earlier studies suggest that dendritic cells (DC) are important for the induction of this response, the factors responsible for initiation of the dendritic cell response against this pathogen have not been evaluated. In the current study, we demonstrate that...

Encephalitozoonosis is an increasingly important opportunistic protozoan infection in immunocompromised individuals. This study aims to examine the development of an experimental Encephalitozoon cuniculi infection in the central nervous system of immunosuppressed mice. Adult Balb-C mice were inoculated intraperitoneally with E. cuniculi spores, treated with cyclophosphamide during the experimen...

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE Microsporidia are identified as ubiquitous organisms of almost every animal group and are now recognized as emerging opportunistic pathogens of human. The risk factors include immunodeficiency, lack of sanitation, and exposure to contaminated water and infected animals. In Slovakia, the places with an increased risk of infection due to the presence of risk factors and...

Infection with the intracellular microsporidium Encephalitozoon cuniculi can cause serious disease, encephalitozoonosis, in the blue fox (Alopex lagopus). The disease diagnosis is based on clinical signs and pathological findings, and detection of E. cuniculi or circulating antibodies directed against the parasite. Indirect immunofluorescence (IFAT) and carbon immunoassay (CIA) are the most com...