Genetic aspects and environmental sources of microsporidia that infect the human gastrointestinal tract.
Enterocytozoon bieneusi and Encephalitozoon intestinalis are microsporidia that infect the human gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Each of these microsporidia has been shown to infect various non-human hosts (mammalian and avian), raising the possibility of inter-species transmission, for example, from such hosts to human subjects via waterborne dispersal of microsporidian spores. During the past two decades, genome sequencing has delineated more than 90 genotypes of Ent. bieneusi, and has led to the conclusion that not all the genotypes of this organism infect human subjects. Well documented in the HIV-infected population, GI tract microsporidiosis is also known to occur in immunocompetent, HIV-negative, individuals. The prevalence of HIV-associated microsporidiosis diminished following the introduction of effective anti-retroviral therapy.
Research Service (151), Corporal Michael J. Crescenz Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center, University and Woodland Avenues, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.|Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
Martin F
MF
Heyworth
D000818:Animals; D001717:Birds; D016819:Encephalitozoon / Q000235:genetics; D021862:Enterocytozoon / Q000235:genetics; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000382:microbiology*; D005838:Genotype; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D008322:Mammals; D016814:Microsporidia / Q000235:genetics; D016881:Microsporidiosis / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000635:transmission; D015995:Prevalence; D014871:Water Microbiology
Encephalitozoon; Enterocytozoon; Microsporidia; Microsporidiosis