Occurrence of a New Microsporidan: Enterocytozoon bieneusi n. g., n. sp., in the Enterocytes of a Human Patient with AIDS1

Abstract

A new microsporidium is reported infesting the enterocytes of a Haitian patients with AIDS. The stages observed were diplokaryotic cells, sporogonial plasmodia, unikaryotic sporoblasts, and spores. Neither a sporophorous vesicle (pansporoblastic membrane) nor parasitophorous vacuole were differentiated around the developmental stages, which were in direct contact with the host cell cytoplasm. The polar tube (5-6 coils) was differentiated before fission of the sporogonial plasmodium. The mature spores measured 1.5 micron X 0.5 micron. The spore wall was very thin as the endospore was absent or poorly differentiated. The organism is named Enterocytozoon bieneusi n. g., n. sp. and is assigned to the suborder Apansporoblastina.

Enterocytozoon bieneusi among children with diarrhea attending Mulago Hospital in Uganda.

“…This view is based on numerous observations in HIV-AIDS-positive adult patients in whom infection with E. bieneusi is strongly linked with chronic diarrhea and wasting. [1][2][3][4][5][6] Due to budgetary constraints, we were unable to determine the HIV status of the children in this study, which is estimated to be 18-20% among these children (Tumwine JK, unpublished data). The observation that children with a high rate of excretion of spores were more likely to have diarrhea of longer duration (P < 0.001) is curious, and may suggest an association with more prolonged illness.…”

“…1 Over the following decade and a half, many reports have confirmed the link of this microsporidium with wasting and chronic diarrhea, often involving hepatobiliary disease, in patients with AIDS throughout the world. Much of the information regarding microsporidiosis, in particular E. bieneusi, is critically and extensively reviewed in the literature, [1][2][3][4][5][6] and is considered the most common intestinal infection associated with persistent diarrhea and wasting, occurring in up to 50% of patients with AIDS. 5,6 While other intestinal microsporidiosis, such as E. intestinalis (formerly Septata intestinalis), may also contribute to diarrhea and wasting, 7,8 the majority of cases are due to E. bieneusi.…”

Agua potable como posible fuente de brote de diarrea por Microsporidium spp. en pacientes inmunocomprometidos en un hospital pediátrico

“…fue reconocido como patógeno en humanos en 1959, donde se encontró en un niño con encefalitis 12 . En 1985 aparecieron los primeros reportes de síndrome diarreico asociado a microsporidiosis en pacientes con infección por VIH 14 .…”

Therapy for human gastrointestinal microsporidiosis.

“…[1][2][3][4][5][6][7] Therapy of human microsporidial disease has been the subject of active investigation with limited success. The objective of this article is to review and clarify the status of various regimens proposed for the treatment of gastrointestinal microsporidiosis.…”