Molecular identification of encephalitozoon hellem in an ostrich. Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • Microsporidia are obligate, intracellular, eukaryotic parasites found in a wide variety of vertebrate and invertebrate hosts. Scientific literature contains a small number of reports of these parasites in psittacine hosts, and recently microsporidiosis was reported in the first nonpsittacine host, an ostrich. DNA was extracted from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded ostrich tissues, and a portion of the small subunit ribosomal RNA gene was sequenced to identify the microsporidian species. The organisms were identified as Encephalitozoon hellem, a parasite species that was first described in immunocompromised humans and recently reported in three psittacine species.

published proceedings

  • Avian Dis

author list (cited authors)

  • Snowden, K., & Logan, K.

citation count

  • 39

complete list of authors

  • Snowden, K||Logan, K

publication date

  • October 1999

publisher