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Chronic Infections in Mammals Due to Microsporidia

Bohumil Sak1, Martin Kváč2,3

  • 1Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czech Republic. casio@paru.cas.cz.

Experientia Supplementum (2012)
|May 11, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Microsporidia, fungal-related pathogens, cause infections in mammals, including immune-competent individuals. This review covers chronic mammalian microsporidiosis and latent infections.

Area of Science:

  • Mycology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Parasitology

Background:

  • Microsporidia are fungal-related obligate intracellular parasites.
  • They infect a wide range of hosts, including mammals, birds, amphibians, and reptiles.
  • Microsporidian infections have significant implications in human and veterinary medicine, affecting both immunocompromised and immunocompetent individuals.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review published studies on mammalian microsporidiosis.
  • To summarize data on chronic infections caused by microsporidia in mammals.
  • To highlight the role of microsporidia as enigmatic pathogens.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of published studies on mammalian microsporidiosis.
  • Analysis of experimental models and observations in natural infections.
  • Synthesis of data on latent and chronic microsporidian infections.

Main Results:

  • Microsporidia cause infections in diverse mammalian hosts.
  • Species like Encephalitozoon cuniculi, Encephalitozoon intestinalis, and Enterocytozoon bieneusi are primary mammalian pathogens.
  • Non-mammalian microsporidia species can cause sporadic mammalian infections.
  • Microsporidia are capable of establishing latent infections in mammalian hosts.

Conclusions:

  • Mammalian microsporidiosis is a significant concern in both human and veterinary medicine.
  • Chronic and latent infections are characteristic of microsporidia.
  • Further research is needed to fully understand these enigmatic pathogens and their impact.
Keywords:
EpidemiologyInfectionLatencyMammalsMicrosporidiaRecurrent infectionTransmission

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