Ministry of Higher Education and

Scientific Research
University of Kirkuk
College of Pharmacy

Subject/ MircoBiology

Report Title/ Microspoidiosis

Supervisor: Dr.Sabah M. Salih

Report Authors:
‫ن‬
Yousif Hussein Mardan ‫حسي مردان‬ ‫يوسف‬
Email:yousifhusseinmardan
Stage: 2nd Stage

Group: B2
2020/7/1
Microsporidiosis
is an opportunistic intestinal infection that causes diarrhea and wasting
in immunocompromised individuals (HIV, for example). It results from different species
of microsporidia, a group of microbial (unicellular) fungi.[1]
In HIV infected individuals, microsporidiosis generally occurs when CD4+ T cell counts
fall below 150.

Classification
Although it is classified as a protozoal disease in ICD-10, their phylogenetic placement
has been resolved to be within the Fungi, and some sources classify microsporidiosis as
a mycosis,[2] however, they are highly divergent and rapidly evolving.[3][4][5]

Causative Agents
At least 15 microsporidian species have been recognized[6] as human pathogens, spread
across nine genera:

 Anncaliia
o A. algerae, A. connori, A. vesicularum
 Encephalitozoon
o E. cuniculi, E. hellem, E. intestinalis
 Enterocytozoon
o E. bieneusi
 Microsporidium
o M. ceylonensis, M. africanum
 Nosema
o N. ocularum
 Pleistophora sp.
 Trachipleistophora
o T. hominis, T. anthropophthera
 Vittaforma
o V. corneae.
 Tubulinosema
o T. acridophagus
The primary causes are Enterocytozoon bieneusi and Encephalitozoon intestinalis.[7]

Life Cycle
1. The infective form of microsporidia is the resistant spore and it can survive for an
extended period of time in the environment.
2. The spore extrudes its polar tubule and infects the host cell.
 3. The spore injects the infective sporoplasm into
the eukaryotic host cell through the polar tubule.
4. Inside the cell, the sporoplasm undergoes extensive
multiplication either by merogony (binary fission)
or schizogony (multiple fission).
5. This development can occur either in direct contact with
the host cell cytoplasm (E. bieneusi) or inside
a vacuole called a parasitophorous vacuole (E.
intestinalis). Either free in the cytoplasm or inside a
parasitophorous vacuole, microsporidia develop
by sporogony to mature spores.
6. During sporogony, a thick wall is formed around the
spore, which provides resistance to adverse
environmental conditions. When the spores increase in
number and completely fill the host cell cytoplasm, the
cell membrane is disrupted and releases the spores to
the surroundings.
7. These free mature spores can infect new cells thus
continuing the cycle.
Diagnosis
The best option for diagnosis is using PCR.

Treatment
Fumagillin has been used in the treatment.[7][8]
Another agent used is albendazole.[9]

References
1. "Microsporidiosis: Parasitic Infections: Merck Manual Home Health Handbook".
2. ^ Microsporidiosis at the US National Library of Medicine Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
3. ^ Didier ES (April 2005). "Microsporidiosis: an emerging and opportunistic infection in humans and
animals". Acta Trop. 94 (1): 61–76. doi:10.1016/j.actatropica.2005.01.010. PMID 15777637.
4. ^ Keeling PJ, Luker MA, Palmer JD (January 2000). "Evidence from beta-tubulin phylogeny that
microsporidia evolved from within the fungi". Mol. Biol. Evol. 17 (1): 23–
31. doi:10.1093/oxfordjournals.molbev.a026235. PMID 10666703.
5. ^ Keeling PJ; Madhani, Hiten D. (September 2009). Madhani, Hiten D. (ed.). "Five Questions about
Microsporidia". PLOS Pathogens. 5 (9):
e1000489. doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.1000489. PMC 2742732. PMID 19779558.
6. ^ "CDC - DPDx - Microsporidiosis". www.cdc.gov. 2017-12-29. Retrieved 2018-01-04.
7. ^ Jump up to:a b Lanternier F, Boutboul D, Menotti J, et al. (February 2009). "Microsporidiosis in
solid organ transplant recipients: two Enterocytozoon bieneusi cases and review". Transpl Infect
Dis. 11 (1): 83–8. doi:10.1111/j.1399-3062.2008.00347.x. PMID 18803616.
8. ^ Molina JM, Tourneur M, Sarfati C, et al. (June 2002). "Fumagillin treatment of intestinal
microsporidiosis". N. Engl. J. Med. 346 (25): 1963–
9. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa012924. PMID 12075057.
9. ^ Didier ES, Maddry JA, Brindley PJ, Stovall ME, Didier PJ (June 2005). "Therapeutic strategies for
human microsporidia infections". Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther. 3 (3): 419–
34. doi:10.1586/14787210.3.3.419. PMID 15954858.