A multiplex real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method was developed for the simultaneous detection of Enterocytozoon bieneusi (n = 30) and Encephalitozoon spp. (n = 3) in stool samples. The multiplex PCR also included an internal control to detect inhibition of the amplification by fecal constituents in the sample. The assay was performed on species-specific DNA controls (n = 22) and a r...

Although attempts to develop methods for the in vitro cultivation of microsporidia began as early as 1937, the interest in the culture of these organisms was confined mostly to microsporidia that infect insects. The successful cultivation in 1969 of Encephalitozoon cuniculi, a microsporidium of mammalian origin, and the subsequent identification of these organisms as agents of human disease hei...

Enterocytozoon bieneusi, a microsporidian, is clinically one of the most significant opportunistic causes of diarrhea and wasting associated with profound human immunodeficiencies. The lack of an animal model for E. bieneusi hinders serious investigations and limits the availability of spores to individuals with severe human immunodeficiency virus/AIDS disease who are infected with E. bieneusi....

Enterocytozoon bieneusi is a microsporidian parasite that infects many vertebrate animals, including humans. The rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) shows a hypervariable sequence; however, so far no clear information has been inferred about strain evolution in this species. We reviewed all the sequences described and performed a phylogenetic study. Four groups of sequences strongly differen...

Microsporidia are emerging as opportunistic pathogens in patients with AIDS. Enterocytozoon bieneusi and Encephalitozoon (Septata) intestinalis have been implicated in enteric infections in AIDS patients with chronic diarrhea, a wasting syndrome, and malabsorption. We used the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and primers that amplify the conserved regions of the small-subunit rRNA (SSU-rRNA) gen...

BACKGROUND Over 200 cryptosporidiosis outbreaks have been reported, but little is known if other enteric pathogens were also involved in some of these outbreaks. Recently, an outbreak of cryptosporidiosis linked to poor hygiene by two Cryptosporidium hominis subtypes occurred in a pediatric hospital ward (Ward A) in China, lasting for more than 14 months. In this study, the concurrence during t...

The Microsporidia have been reported to cause a wide range of clinical diseases particularly in patients that are immunosuppressed. They can infect virtually any organ system and cases of gastrointestinal infection, encephalitis, ocular infection, sinusitis, myositis and disseminated infection are well described in the literature. While benzimidazoles such as albendazole are active against many...