To the Editor: In the article by N.J. Pieniazek and B.L. Herwaldt (1) on the rRNA gene of Cyclospora cayetanensis, the authors suggest that Cyclospora should be placed in the genus Eimeria because the rRNA genes of the two genera have similar sequences. The article refers to Norman D. Levine’s chapter on the Apicomplexa in the Illustrated Guide to the Protozoa (2). Regrettably, the authors fail...

Sixteen hairy-tailed moles, Parascalops breweri, collected from the northeastern U.S.A. were examined for coccidian oocysts; all were infected with multiple species of coccidia and 3 genera were represented. Two cyclosporans, 2 eimerians, and 2 isosporans are described as new species. Sporulated oocysts of Cyclospora ashtabulensis n. sp. are subspheroid to ellipsoid, 18 X 14 (14-23 X 11-19) mic...

Negative staining technique of Heine is an easy, inexpensive, and rapid way of screening for coccidian parasites of the intestinal tract. But its use as a routine technique for screening of Cryptosporidium, Cyclospora, and Cystoisospora is restricted due to its sensitivity being lower than the gold standard method of modified Ziehl-Neelsen staining. This paper emphasises the modification of ori...

We developed an alternative nested-PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) protocol for the detection of Cyclospora cayetanensis in environmental samples that obviates the need for microscopic examination. The RFLP method, with the restriction enzyme AluI, differentiates the amplified target sequence from C. cayetanensis from those that may cross-react. This new protocol was used to...

From May to August 1999, we evaluated 401 patients from a pediatric hospital of Havana City. One group was composed of 113 patients with diarrhea admitted to the Gastroenterology ward and a second consisted of 288 patients without diarrhea, admitted for other reasons, and hospitalized within the same time period. Three stool samples were collected from each child and were examined using three p...

We undertook a study to evaluate Streck tissue fixative (STF) as a substitute for formalin and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) in fecal preservation. A comparison of formalin, PVA, (mercuric chloride based), and STF was done by aliquoting fecal samples into each fixative. Stool specimens were collected in Haiti, and parasites included Cyclospora cayetanensis, Giardia intestinalis, Entamoeba coli, Iodam...