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Frontiers in Cellular and Infection... 2022Emerging infectious disease has become the center of attention since the outbreak of COVID-19. For the coronavirus, bats are suspected to be the origin of the pandemic.... (Review)
Review
Emerging infectious disease has become the center of attention since the outbreak of COVID-19. For the coronavirus, bats are suspected to be the origin of the pandemic. Consequently, the spotlight has fallen on zoonotic diseases, and the focus now expands to organisms other than viruses. Microsporidia is a single-cell organism that can infect a wide range of hosts such as insects, mammals, and humans. Its pathogenicity differs among species, and host immunological status plays an important role in infectivity and disease severity. Disseminated disease from microsporidiosis can be fatal, especially among patients with a defective immune system. Recently, there were two , a microsporidia species which can survive in insects, case reports in Thailand, one patient had disseminated microsporidiosis. This review gathered data of disseminated microsporidiosis and infections in humans covering the biological and clinical aspects. There was a total of 22 cases of disseminated microsporidiosis reports worldwide. Ten microsporidia species were identified. Maximum likelihood tree results showed some possible correlations with zoonotic transmissions. For hominis, there are currently eight case reports in humans, seven of which had Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection. It is observed that risks are higher for the immunocompromised to acquire such infections, however, future studies should look into the entire life cycle, to identify the route of transmission and establish preventive measures, especially among the high-risk groups.
Topics: Animals; COVID-19; Humans; Immunocompromised Host; Mammals; Microsporidia; Microsporidiosis; Zoonoses
PubMed: 35782144
DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.924007 -
MBio Jun 2021Microsporidia are a large group of fungus-related obligate intracellular parasites. Though many microsporidia species have been identified over the past 160 years,...
Microsporidia are a large group of fungus-related obligate intracellular parasites. Though many microsporidia species have been identified over the past 160 years, depiction of the full diversity of this phylum is lacking. To systematically describe the characteristics of these parasites, we created a database of 1,440 species and their attributes, including the hosts they infect and spore characteristics. We find that microsporidia have been reported to infect 16 metazoan and 4 protozoan phyla, with smaller phyla being underrepresented. Most species are reported to infect only a single host, but those that are generalists are also more likely to infect a broader set of host tissues. Strikingly, polar tubes are threefold longer in species that infect tissues besides the intestine, suggesting that polar tube length is a determinant of tissue specificity. Phylogenetic analysis revealed four clades which each contain microsporidia that infect hosts from all major habitats. Although related species are more likely to infect similar hosts, we observe examples of changes in host specificity and convergent evolution. Taken together, our results show that microsporidia display vast diversity in their morphology and the hosts they infect, illustrating the flexibility of these parasites to evolve new traits. Microsporidia are a large group of parasites that cause death and disease in humans and many agriculturally important animal species. To fully understand the diverse properties of these parasites, we curated species reports from the last 160 years. Using these data, we describe when and where microsporidia were identified and what types of animals and host tissues these parasites infect. Microsporidia infect hosts using a conserved apparatus known as the polar tube. We observe that the length of this tube is correlated with the tissues that are being infected, suggesting that the polar tube controls where within the animals that the parasite infects. Finally, we show that microsporidia species often exist in multiple environments and are flexible in their ability to evolve new traits. Our study provides insight into the ecology and evolution of microsporidia and provides a useful resource to further understand these fascinating parasites.
Topics: Animals; Databases, Factual; Ecology; Genetic Variation; Host Specificity; Humans; Microsporidia; Phenotype
PubMed: 34182782
DOI: 10.1128/mBio.01490-21 -
Journal of Infection in Developing... May 2021Human microsporidiosis represents an important and rapidly emerging opportunistic disease. The present study investigated the prevalence of microsporidia among HIV...
INTRODUCTION
Human microsporidiosis represents an important and rapidly emerging opportunistic disease. The present study investigated the prevalence of microsporidia among HIV positive and HIV negative patients with or without diarrhoea in Vhembe and Mopani Districts in the Limpopo Province.
METHODOLOGY
A total of 170 stool samples were collected from these patients and microsporidia species was detected using a Real-Time PCR targeting a conserved region of the small ribosomal subunit rRNA (SSU-rRNA) gene of Enterocytozoon bieneusi, Encephalitozoon intestinalis, Encephalitozoon hellem, and Encephalitozoon cuniculi.
RESULTS
Fifty six (32.9%) were positive for microsporidia. The prevalence was higher in HIV negative patients (36.6%) while 24.1% of patients who were HIV positive had microsporidia. Microsporidia was more common among patients aged between 1 and 10 years (52.6%). However among the HIV positive patients, microsporidia prevalence was higher among those that were not taking antiretrovirals (ARVs) compared to those who were on ARVs, (36.6%) and (24.1%), respectively. Microsporidia was also noted to be significantly associated with diarrheal and stomach pains; p = 0.02 and p = 0.048, respectively. Furthermore, microsporidia infections was more prevalent among patients who had animals at home (p = 0.037).
CONCLUSIONS
Study has shown a high prevalence of microsporidia among patients attending primary health centers in the Mopani District for the first time. Prevalence of microsporidia was higher among HIV negative and HIV positive patients who were not on ARV treatment. Keeping animals in the household appeared to be a risk of getting infected with microsporidia. Further studies are needed to determine the genetic characteristics of these organisms in the study population.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Child; Child, Preschool; Demography; Feces; Female; HIV Infections; Humans; Infant; Male; Microsporidia; Microsporidiosis; Middle Aged; Prevalence; South Africa; Young Adult
PubMed: 34106896
DOI: 10.3855/jidc.12988 -
Turkiye Parazitolojii Dergisi Mar 2015The members of the Microsporidia are single-celled, eukaryotic, obligate intracellular parasites. They infect a wide range of invertebrate and vertebrate hosts. The... (Review)
Review
The members of the Microsporidia are single-celled, eukaryotic, obligate intracellular parasites. They infect a wide range of invertebrate and vertebrate hosts. The studies on Microsporidia are of considerable interest because of that they cause desirable and undesirable infections in different animals. That situation requires identification of these organisms correctly. The identification of Microsporidia needs relatively more complex studies. Morphological and ultrastructural studies play important role in the identification of these organisms. In the present study, a working knowledge on the morphological and ultrastructural features of Microsporidia are given.
Topics: Animals; Microsporidia; Microsporidiosis; Spores, Fungal
PubMed: 25917585
DOI: 10.5152/tpd.2015.3738 -
Parasitology Aug 2020A new microsporidian species, Globosporidium paramecii gen. nov., sp. nov., from Paramecium primaurelia is described on the basis of morphology, fine structure, and SSU...
A new microsporidian species, Globosporidium paramecii gen. nov., sp. nov., from Paramecium primaurelia is described on the basis of morphology, fine structure, and SSU rRNA gene sequence. This is the first case of microsporidiosis in Paramecium reported so far. All observed stages of the life cycle are monokaryotic. The parasites develop in the cytoplasm, at least some part of the population in endoplasmic reticulum and its derivates. Meronts divide by binary fission. Sporogonial plasmodium divides by rosette-like budding. Early sporoblasts demonstrate a well-developed exospore forming blister-like structures. Spores with distinctive spherical shape are dimorphic in size (3.7 ± 0.2 and 1.9 ± 0.2 μm). Both types of spores are characterized by a thin endospore, a short isofilar polar tube making one incomplete coil, a bipartite polaroplast, and a large posterior vacuole. Experimental infection was successful for 5 of 10 tested strains of the Paramecium aurelia species complex. All susceptible strains belong to closely related P. primaurelia and P. pentaurelia species. Phylogenetic analysis placed the new species in the Clade 4 of Microsporidia and revealed its close relationship to Euplotespora binucleata (a microsporidium from the ciliate Euplotes woodruffi), to Helmichia lacustris and Mrazekia macrocyclopis, microsporidia from aquatic invertebrates.
Topics: Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; Microsporidia; Paramecium; Phylogeny
PubMed: 32338239
DOI: 10.1017/S0031182020000633 -
FEMS Microbiology Reviews May 2012The microsporidia are a diverse phylum of obligate intracellular parasites related to the fungi that cause significant and sometimes life-threatening disease in... (Review)
Review
The microsporidia are a diverse phylum of obligate intracellular parasites related to the fungi that cause significant and sometimes life-threatening disease in immune-compromised hosts, such as AIDS and organ transplant patients. More recently, their role in causing pathology in immune-competent populations has also been appreciated. Interestingly, in several instances, the microsporidia have been shown to persist in their hosts long term, causing at opposite ends of the spectrum either an intractable chronic diarrhea and wasting in patients with advanced-stage AIDS or asymptomatic shedding of spores in healthy populations. Much remains to be studied regarding the immune response to these pathogens, but it seems clear that CD8+ T cells are essential in clearing infection. However, in the infection models examined thus far, the role for CD4+ T cells is unclear at best. Here, we discuss the possible reasons and ramifications of what may be a weak primary CD4+ T cell response against Encephalitozoon cuniculi. Given the central role of the CD4+ T cell in other models of adaptive immunity, a better appreciation of its role in responding to microsporidia may provide insight into the survival strategies of these pathogens, which allow them to persist in hosts of varied immune status.
Topics: CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes; Chronic Disease; Host-Pathogen Interactions; Humans; Microsporidia; Microsporidiosis
PubMed: 22126330
DOI: 10.1111/j.1574-6976.2011.00318.x -
Parasite (Paris, France) 2022Cases of intestinal microsporidiosis infection are underestimated and affect both immunocompromized and immunocompetent patients. Real-time PCR is superseding...
Cases of intestinal microsporidiosis infection are underestimated and affect both immunocompromized and immunocompetent patients. Real-time PCR is superseding microscopic examination for its diagnosis in medical analysis laboratories. However, few manufacturers include microsporidia in their PCR panel for the diagnosis of infectious gastroenteritis. Here, we evaluated the performances of the real-time PCR assays microsporidia generic and microsporidia typing (Bio-Evolution, France) on the Rotor-Gene Q real-time PCR cycler (Qiagen, France). We included 45 negative and 44 positive stool samples for Enterocytozoon bieneusi (n = 34, with various genotypes), Encephalitozoon intestinalis (n = 4), Encephalitozoon hellem (n = 4), and Encephalitozoon cuniculi (n = 2). We also studied a four-year survey of an inter-laboratory quality control program including 9 centers that used this commercial assay. Sensitivity and specificity of the microsporidia generic assay were 86.4% and 93.3%, respectively. Encephalitozoon hellem and Encephalitozoon cuniculi were detected by the microsporidia generic PCR assay but not by the microsporidia typing PCR assay. These results were consistent with the results of the inter-laboratory quality control program. In conclusion, Bio-Evolution Real-time PCR assays are useful tools for intestinal microsporidiosis, but negative results for microsporidia typing assays require supplementary analyses to confirm E. hellem or E. cuniculi infections.
Topics: Humans; Microsporidia; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; Microsporidiosis; Enterocytozoon
PubMed: 36426934
DOI: 10.1051/parasite/2022055 -
MSphere Feb 2020Microsporidia are obligate intracellular parasites that infect a wide variety of host organisms, including humans. The sporoplasm is the initial stage of microsporidian...
Microsporidia are obligate intracellular parasites that infect a wide variety of host organisms, including humans. The sporoplasm is the initial stage of microsporidian infection and proliferation, but its morphological and molecular characteristics are poorly understood. In this study, the sporoplasm of was successfully isolated and characterized after the induction of spore germination The sporoplasm was spherical, 3.64 ± 0.41 μm in diameter, had the typical two nuclei, and was nonrefractive. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy analyses revealed that the sporoplasm was surrounded by a single membrane, and the cytoplasm was usually filled with relatively homogeneous granules, possibly ribosomes, and contained a vesicular structure comprising a concentric ring and coiled tubules. Propidium iodide staining revealed that the sporoplasm membrane showed stronger membrane permeability than did the cell plasma membrane. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed that the sporoplasm can gain entry to the host cell by phagocytosis. Transcriptome analysis of mature spores and sporoplasms showed that 541 significantly differentially expressed genes were screened (adjusted value [] < 0.05), of which 302 genes were upregulated and 239 genes were downregulated in the sporoplasm. The majority of the genes involved in trehalose synthesis metabolism, glycolysis, and the pentose phosphate pathway were downregulated, whereas 10 transporter genes were upregulated, suggesting that the sporoplasm may inhibit its own carbon metabolic activity and obtain the substances required for proliferation through transporter proteins. This study represents the first comprehensive and in-depth investigation of the sporoplasm at the morphological and molecular levels and provides novel insights into the biology of microsporidia and their infection mechanism. Once awoken from dormancy, the cellular matter of microsporidia is delivered directly into the host cell cytoplasm through the polar tube. This means that the microsporidia are difficult to study biologically in their active state without a contaminating signal from the host cell. Sporoplasm is a cell type of microsporidia , but relatively little attention has been paid to the sporoplasm in the past 150 years due to a lack of an effective separation method. , the first reported microsporidium, is a type of obligate intracellular parasite that infects silkworms and can be induced to germinate in alkaline solution We successfully separated the sporoplasm , and the morphological and structural characteristics were investigated. These results provide important insight into the biology and pathogenesis of microsporidia and potentially provide a possible strategy for genetic manipulation of microsporidia targeting the sporoplasm.
Topics: Animals; Bombyx; Cytoplasm; Gene Expression; Gene Expression Profiling; Host-Pathogen Interactions; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; Nosema; Spores, Fungal
PubMed: 32051240
DOI: 10.1128/mSphere.00958-19 -
Nature Communications Sep 2022Microsporidia are a diverse group of fungal-related obligate intracellular parasites that infect most animal phyla. Despite the emerging threat that microsporidia...
Microsporidia are a diverse group of fungal-related obligate intracellular parasites that infect most animal phyla. Despite the emerging threat that microsporidia represent to humans and agricultural animals, few reliable treatment options exist. Here, we develop a high-throughput screening method for the identification of chemical inhibitors of microsporidia infection, using liquid cultures of Caenorhabditis elegans infected with the microsporidia species Nematocida parisii. We screen a collection of 2560 FDA-approved compounds and natural products, and identify 11 candidate microsporidia inhibitors. Five compounds prevent microsporidia infection by inhibiting spore firing, whereas one compound, dexrazoxane, slows infection progression. The compounds have in vitro activity against several other microsporidia species, including those known to infect humans. Together, our results highlight the effectiveness of C. elegans as a model host for drug discovery against intracellular pathogens, and provide a scalable high-throughput system for the identification and characterization of microsporidia inhibitors.
Topics: Animals; Biological Products; Caenorhabditis elegans; Cell Proliferation; Dexrazoxane; Humans; Microsporidia; Microsporidiosis
PubMed: 36163337
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33400-y -
Microbes and Infection May 2000Microsporidia are small, single-celled, obligately intracellular parasites that have caused significant agricultural losses and interference with biomedical research.... (Review)
Review
Microsporidia are small, single-celled, obligately intracellular parasites that have caused significant agricultural losses and interference with biomedical research. Interest in the microsporidia is growing, as these organisms are recognized as agents of opportunistic infections in persons with AIDS and in organ transplant recipients. Microsporidiosis is also being recognized in children and travelers, and furthermore, concern exists about the potential of zoonotic and waterborne transmission of microsporidia to humans. This article reviews the basic biology and epidemiology of microsporidiosis in mammals.
Topics: AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections; Animals; Humans; Mice; Microsporida; Microsporidiosis
PubMed: 10884622
DOI: 10.1016/s1286-4579(00)00354-3