In vitro comparisons demonstrated that the efficacy of albendazole, albendazole-sulfoxide, and albendazole-sulfone against pathogenic Encephalitozoon species was proportional to the degree of oxidation at a concentration of >10(-3) microgram/ml. Furthermore, at a concentration of <10(-2) microgram/ml, benzimidazoles were more effective against Encephalitozoon cuniculi and Encephalitozoon hellem...

Encephalitozoon cuniculi Encephalitozoon cuniculi is a single-cell, microsporidial organism. Microsporidia are a diverse group of organisms and more than 1200 species have been identified. They parasitise a range of vertebrate and invertebrate hosts. Microsporidia lack mitochondria and rely on a host cell for energy. They produce large numbers of spores that contain a coiled polar tube. Classif...

Microsporidia of the genus Encephalitozoon are widespread pathogens of animals that harbor the smallest known nuclear genomes. Complete sequences from Encephalitozoon intestinalis (2.3 Mbp) and Encephalitozoon cuniculi (2.9 Mbp) revealed massive gene losses and reduction of intergenic regions as factors leading to their drastically reduced genome size. However, microsporidian genomes also have ...

When exposed to 254-nm UV, spores of Encephalitozoon intestinalis, Encephalitozoon cuniculi, and Encephalitozoon hellem exhibited 3.2-log reductions in viability at UV fluences of 60, 140, and 190 J/m(2), respectively, and demonstrated UV inactivation kinetics similar to those observed for endospores of DNA repair-defective mutant Bacillus subtilis strains used as biodosimetry surrogates. The r...

Human-associated microsporidia were frequently observed in fecal samples of 331 feral pigeons in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, obtained during high- and low-breeding periods. Thirty-six of 331 samples (11%) contained the human pathogens Enterocytozoon bieneusi (n = 18), Encephalitozoon hellem (n = 11), Encephalitozoon cuniculi (n = 6), and Encephalitozoon intestinalis (n = 1); 5 samples contained...

The sub-3 Mbp genomes from microsporidian species of the Encephalitozoon genus are the smallest known among eukaryotes and paragons of genomic reduction and compaction in parasites. However, their diminutive stature is not characteristic of all Microsporidia, whose genome sizes vary by an order of magnitude. This large variability suggests that different evolutionary forces are applied on the g...

Within the microsporidian genus Encephalitozoon, three species, Encephalitozoon cuniculi, Encephalitozoon hellem and Encephalitozoon intestinalis have been described. Several orders of the Class Aves (Passeriformes, Psittaciformes, Apodiformes, Ciconiiformis, Gruiformes, Columbiformes, Suliformes, Podicipediformes, Anseriformes, Struthioniformes, Falconiformes) and of the Class Mammalia (Rodent...

Serum samples from 237 randomized rabbits from the five ecological zones of Nigeria, i.e. Northwest (NW), Northeast (NE), Southeast (SE), Southwest (SW) and Northcentral (NC), were evaluated for the presence of antibodies to Encephalitozoon cuniculi by the indirect immunofluorescent antibodies test. A titre of 10 or more was taken as positive. Thirty-nine (16.5%) of the 237 samples were positiv...

Microsporidians of the genus Encephalitozoon are an important cause of disease in immunocompromised patients, and there are currently no completely effective treatments. The present study investigated the viability and infectivity of spores of Encephalitozoon cuniculi that had been exposed to resveratrol (RESV), a natural phytoalexin found in grapes and red wine. RESV at 50 microM showed signif...

To assess the zoonotic potential of Encephalitozoon-like microsporidia, we isolated and cultivated spores from specimens of urine, respiratory secretions, and stool from six patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus and from nine rabbits. Because spores of Encephalitozoon-like species are indistinguishable by microscopy, we characterized the isolates by western blot analysis and by re...