Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 26, 2026

Determining Soil-transmitted Helminth Infection Status and Physical Fitness of School-aged Children
10:57

Determining Soil-transmitted Helminth Infection Status and Physical Fitness of School-aged Children

Published on: August 22, 2012

Microsporidiosis and malnutrition in children with persistent diarrhea, Uganda

Siobhan M Mor1, James K Tumwine, Elena N Naumova

  • 1Division of Infectious Diseases, Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, MA 01536, USA. siobhan.mor@tufts.edu

Emerging Infectious Diseases
|January 1, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Microsporidiosis from Enterocytozoon bieneusi in Ugandan children with persistent diarrhea is linked to reduced weight gain. This fungal infection may cause children to weigh 1.3 kg less by age five.

Area of Science:

  • Medical Microbiology
  • Pediatric Infectious Diseases
  • Global Health

Background:

  • Persistent diarrhea in children is a significant global health concern, particularly in low-income countries.
  • Enterocytozoon bieneusi is an opportunistic microsporidian pathogen known to cause gastrointestinal illness.
  • The impact of E. bieneusi on child growth in resource-limited settings requires further elucidation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between Enterocytozoon bieneusi infection and weight gain in Ugandan children experiencing persistent diarrhea.
  • To determine if this association persists after accounting for confounding factors like HIV and cryptosporidiosis.

Main Methods:

  • Cross-sectional study involving children with persistent diarrhea in Uganda.
  • Microsporidiosis diagnosed using [specific diagnostic method, e.g., microscopy or PCR].
  • Statistical analysis to assess the relationship between E. bieneusi and weight, controlling for covariates.

Main Results:

  • Enterocytozoon bieneusi infection was significantly associated with lower rates of weight gain.
  • The observed relationship remained significant even after adjusting for HIV status and concurrent cryptosporidiosis.
  • Children with microsporidiosis were projected to have a 1.3 kg lower body weight at age five compared to uninfected children.

Conclusions:

  • Enterocytozoon bieneusi infection is an independent risk factor for impaired growth in children with persistent diarrhea in Uganda.
  • Microsporidiosis contributes to child malnutrition, highlighting the need for targeted interventions.
  • Further research into the pathogenesis and treatment of E. bieneusi in pediatric populations is warranted.

More Related Videos

Phenotypic Analysis of Rodent Malaria Parasite Asexual and Sexual Blood Stages and Mosquito Stages08:23

Phenotypic Analysis of Rodent Malaria Parasite Asexual and Sexual Blood Stages and Mosquito Stages

Published on: May 30, 2019

Related Concept Videos

Fungal Phylum Microsporidia01:28

Fungal Phylum Microsporidia

Microsporidia are a group of obligate intracellular fungi that were initially classified as protists but were later reclassified based on phylogenetic, molecular, and structural evidence linking them to the Chytridiomycota. These unicellular, non-motile organisms are highly specialized parasites that infect a wide range of animal hosts, including humans. They have evolved extensive genomic and metabolic reductions, making them highly dependent on their hosts for survival.Morphology and Genomic...
Giardiasis01:12

Giardiasis

Giardiasis is a globally prevalent intestinal infection caused by the protozoan parasite Giardia duodenalis (also known as G. lamblia or G. intestinalis). This flagellated protozoan is the most frequently identified intestinal parasite in the United States and worldwide. Transmission primarily occurs via the fecal-oral route, with infection arising from ingestion of water or food contaminated with cysts. Individuals in low-resource settings, international travelers, outdoor enthusiasts, daycare...
Amebiasis01:28

Amebiasis

Entamoeba histolytica, a protozoan parasite, is responsible for intestinal and extraintestinal amebiasis. Though a significant proportion of infections remain asymptomatic, approximately 50 million individuals annually are estimated to present with clinical disease, resulting in up to 100,000 deaths globally. The disease burden is disproportionately high in regions with lower socioeconomic status, such as parts of India, Africa, Mexico, and Latin America.Etiology and TransmissionThe infective...
Malaria01:29

Malaria

Malaria pathogenesis in humans reflects a delicate interplay between parasite biology and host response. Clinical illness reflects a host’s immune response to the parasite’s asexual replication cycle, which is often asymptomatic in individuals with partial immunity. From the parasite's perspective, transmission between mosquito and human with minimal host pathology is evolutionarily advantageous. Among the six Plasmodium species infecting humans, P. falciparum and P. vivax dominate in global...
Toxoplasmosis01:28

Toxoplasmosis

Toxoplasmosis, a zoonotic disease caused by the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii, poses significant public health challenges globally due to its high seroprevalence and varied clinical manifestations. As an obligate intracellular parasite, T. gondii can infect all warm-blooded vertebrates, but felids are its only definitive hosts, shedding unsporulated oocysts into the environment. Humans typically acquire the infection through ingestion of tissue cysts in undercooked meat or oocysts from...
Overview of Protein Metabolism01:21

Overview of Protein Metabolism

Proteins are broken down into amino acids during digestion. Unlike fats and carbohydrates, which are stored for later use, proteins are not. Instead, amino acids are either used to produce ATP through oxidation or contribute to the creation of new proteins for the growth and repair of the body. Any surplus amino acids from the diet are converted into glucose or triglycerides rather than excreted.
Amino acids play various roles in the body once they are absorbed into cells. They are restructured...