Encephalitozoonosis: Evidence for Vertical Transmission

Hunt, Ronald D.; King, Norval W.; Foster, Henry L.

doi:10.1093/infdis/126.2.212

Cited by 74 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 4 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Once infection occurs, it seems reasonable to propose that urinary transmission of the parasite may occur because the organism is in the urine and remains viable for several days in buffers at low pH. Intrauterine transmission may also occur as has been seen in rabbits [7] and suggested in foxes [14]. The parents of the affected puppies we describe were rebred, however, and a normal litter resulted.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 68%

Isolation of the Causative Organism of Canine Encephalitozoonosis

1978

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract. Spontaneous infection withEncephalitozoonosis is caused by the obligate intracellular protozoan parasite Encephafitozoon cuniculi. The parasite and the associated lesions were recognized in rabbits in the early 1920s [9, 10, 291. Since then the disease has been described in many animals including mice [6, 151, rats [7], guinea pigs [13], nonhuman primates [1, 3, 211 and several species of carnivores [4,16,19,20,25, 261. Human infections also have been reported [12] but the causative organism in man is probably not identical to E. cuniculi [2, 11, 241.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 68%

Isolation of the Causative Organism of Canine Encephalitozoonosis

1978

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Of the 17 neonates and infants, another cause of death was suggested in only four (monkeys 1, 7, 13,16). E. cuniculi is considered a probable contributing factor to the cause of death in the remaining 13 young monkeys.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Encephalitozoonosis in Squirrel Monkeys (Saimiri sciureus)

Zeman

Baskin

1985

Vet Pathol

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract. Twenty-two cases of naturally occumng encephalitozoonosis in squirrel monkeys are reported from breeding colonies of the Delta Regional Primate Research Center, Covington, La. Characteristic foci of granulomatous inflammation and organisms were demonstrated in brains, kidneys, lungs, adrenals, and livers. Vasculitis and perivasculitis were also common lesions in several organs. At least seven cases were congenital while ten others occurred in monkeys less than nine months old. Granulomatous placentitis, previously unreported in any species due to Encephafitozoon cuniculi, was present in one monkey.Encephalitozoon cuniculi is an intracellular microsporidian parasite known to produce mild subclinical disease and occasionally clinical disease in several species of mammals, including rabbits,', lo. 15. 16. mice,'4. '' rats,'.7. l7 ground shrew^,'^ dog^,^.^.^^.^^ blue f o x e~, *~. ?~ a cat, (' monkeys,'.' and Microsporidia are small, rod shaped protozoa which possess an internal coiled tube, the polar filament, in the spore stage. This structure, visible by electron micro~copy,~' is extruded and used to penetrate host cell membranes when infecting new cells. Once inside host cells, differentiation and multiplication occur within cytoplasmic parasitophorous vacuoles termed pseudocysts.32 Development within renal tubular epithelial cells permits seeding of the urine as pseudocysts rupture into the tubular lumen." Horizontal transmission occurs following the ingestion of food contaminated with spore-containing urine from an infected animal.32 Spores extrude thin polar filaments, invade gut epithelium, and spread hematogenously to several organs-especially brain, lung, kidney, and liver.3' Vertical transmission has been demonstrated experimentally in blue foxes (Alopex lagopus),23 rabbits,'' and previously suggested in a squirrel monkey less than 24 hours old.'E. cuniculi has a long history of interfering with and complicating medical research with experimental animals. The incidence of this disease in some colonies of laboratory rodents varies between 25 and 95%." This disease has been reported only twice in a commonly used experimental primate, the squirrel monkey (Saimiri sciuyeus).'.' This report describes lesions associated with 22 naturally occumng cases of encephalitozoonosis identified over a 20-month period at Delta Regional Primate Research Center, Covington, La. Materials and MethodsAt Delta Regional Primate Research Center, approximately 250 squirrel monkeys are maintained in small breeding groups in both indoor and outdoor facilities. All animals which die receive a complete necropsy. Representative samples of all major organs were fixed in 10% neutral buffered formalin, processed routinely for histology, and stained with hematoxylin and eosin (HE). Tissues with lesions suggestive of encephalitozoonosis were stained with Taylor's bacterial For electron microscopy, formalin-fixed tissues from one case were washed in phosphate buffer, post-fixed in 3% glutaraldehyde and 1 % osmium tetroxide, dehyd...

show abstract

“…The first concerns the mode of transmission of infection. Very strong evidence for transplacental transmission has been reported (Hunt, King & Foster, 1972), although the importance of this mode of transmission is not established. Cox et al (1977), were able to show in laboratory rabbits that infection occurred either transplacentally or at the nursling stage.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An investigation ofEncephalitozoon cuniculiin the wild rabbitOryctolagus cuniculusin Victoria, Australia

Cox

Pye

Edmonds³

et al. 1980

J. Hyg.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

SUMMARYSera from 823 wild rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) collected from a number of geographic regions of Victoria, Australia over the past eight years were examined for antibodies to Encephalitozoon cuniculi, along with sera from 46 hares (Lepus europaeus) (Pallas) and 57 New Zealand wild rabbits. No sera were positive, implying that this common laboratory rabbit parasite is absent from wild rabbits in these areas. However, wild rabbits were found to be readily infected by the oral route with small numbers of tissue-culture-grown spores of E. cuniculi. A possible explanation for the absence of encephalitozoonosis in wild rabbits is that E. cuniculi infection places them at a biological disadvantage for survival. The natural hygiene habit of wild rabbits may also significantly decrease post-natal infection.

show abstract

Encephalitozoonosis: Evidence for Vertical Transmission

Cited by 74 publications

References 4 publications

Isolation of the Causative Organism of Canine Encephalitozoonosis

Isolation of the Causative Organism of Canine Encephalitozoonosis

Encephalitozoonosis in Squirrel Monkeys (Saimiri sciureus)

An investigation ofEncephalitozoon cuniculiin the wild rabbitOryctolagus cuniculusin Victoria, Australia

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About