Page 78 - Medical Parasitology_ A Textbook ( PDFDrive )

8
Microsporidia

Microsporidia

Distribution

Microsporidia have a wide host range which includes invertebrates and vertebrates.
Microsporidia are being recognized as opportunistic infectious agents worldwide.

Habitat

In human, the organisms are found in intestinal epithelium (intracellular). Other
sites of infection include cornea, biliary tract and muscle.

Morphology

Microsporidia are unicellular, obligate intracellular organism. They reproduce in
host cells by producing spores (sporogony). Spores are 2–4 μm in size and oval to
cylindrical in shape, with a polar filament or tubule (Fig. 8.1). The polar tubule is an
extrusion mechanism for injecting infective spore contents into the host cell. Spores
are surrounded by thick double-layered wall and are the infective stage of
microsporidia.

© Springer International Publishing AG 2017 71
R. Mahmud et al., Medical Parasitology,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-68795-7_8