Transfer of extraintestinal stages of Eimeria vermiformis in the mouse

The oral administration of whole blood and liver or lung homogenates from mice donors inoculated 1-3 days previously with Eimeria vermiformis oocysts produced infection in coccidia-free recipient mice.     

Five new species of Eimeria (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) from lizards

Five new species of Eimeria are described from lizards. Eimeria baltrocki n. sp. was found in the berber skink, Eumeces schneideri, from Egypt. The oöcysts are cylindroidal, averaging 38 × 18.3 m, with a single thick oöcyst wall. Most oöcysts possess a single polar granule; a micropyle and oöcyst residuum are absent. The sporocysts are ellipsoidal and average 11.5 × 8.1 m, each with a large, globular sporocyst residuum; the Stieda body is absent. Eimeria anolidis n. sp. is described form the common anole, Anolis carolinensis, from Florida, USA. The oöcysts are cylindroidal and average 31 × 15.8 m with a thick, single-layered oöcyst wall. Two polar granules are usually present; a micropyle and oöcyst residuum absent. The sporocysts are ellipsoidal and average 9.4 × 7.5 m with a globular sporocyst residuum; the Stieda body is absent. Eimeria guyanensis n. sp is recorded in the ameiva, Ameiva ameiva, from Guyana, South America. The oöcysts are spherical to subspherical, average 19.0 × 17.8 m and possess a thick, single-layered oöcyst wall. Numerous polar granules are present (n > 5); a micropyle and oöcyst residuum are absent. The sporocysts are spherical to subspherical, average 7.5 × 7.8 m and possess a compact globular sporocyst residuum; the Stieda body is absent. Eimeria phelsumae n. sp. was recovered from the giant day gecko, Phelsuma madagascariensis grandis, from Madagascar, which harboured a simultaneous infection of E. brygooi. The oöcysts measured 32 × 15 m and are cylindroidal without polar granules, a micropyle or oöcyst residuum, or a Steida body. The sporocysts are ellipsoidal and average 9.8 × 7 m, with a loosely clumped, granular sporocyst residuum; the Steida body is absent. Eimeria leiocephali n. sp. was discovered in the faeces of the ornate ground iguana, Leiocephalus barahonensis, from Haiti. The oöcysts are spherical to subspherical, 21 × 19 m, and contain a number of polar granules (n > 5); a micropyle and oöcyst residuum are absent. The sporocysts are spherical, 8 m in diameter and lack a sporocyst residuum. Eimeria turcicus and E. lineri were found in faeces of Hemidactylus turcicus turcicus from the host's country of origin, Turkey.     

Zoite migration during infection: parasite adaptation to host defences

The apicomplexan parasite Eimeria tenella has evolved a number of strategies for migration into different compartments of the intestinal tissue during its life cycle. These migration events are associated intricately with pathogenesis and are currently of great interest to coccidiologists. Using evidence from in vivo studies and recent work on the dynamics of gut cell turnover, Peter Daszak suggests that E. tenella zoite migration might be viewed as parasite evolutionary adaptation to evade the host innate immune responses (resistance) and deal with the complex, dynamic nature of gut epithelial tissue.     

Comparison of intravenous medetomidine and medetomidine/ketamine for immobilization of free-ranging variable flying foxes (Pteropus hypomelanus)

Medetomidine (0.03 mg/kg) and medetomidine/ketamine (0.05/5.0 and 0.025/2.5 mg/kg), administered by intravenous injection, were evaluated for short-term immobilization of wild-caught variable flying foxes (Pteropus hypomelanus). Medetomidine alone produced incomplete chemical restraint and a stressful, prolonged induction. Both ketamine/medetomidine doses produced a smooth induction and complete immobilization. The combined medetomidine/ketamine dose of 0.025/2.5 mg/kg produced a rapid induction (232±224 sec) with minimal struggling and vocalization, a complete and effective immobilization period, and tended to lead to a faster and better quality recovery than medetomidine alone or a higher dose of medetomidine and ketamine (0.05/5.0 mg/kg), thus reducing holding time and permitting an earlier release of the bat back into the wild.     

Quantifying Trends in Disease Impact to Produce a Consistent and Reproducible Definition of an Emerging Infectious Disease

The proper allocation of public health resources for research and control requires quantification of both a disease''s current burden and the trend in its impact. Infectious diseases that have been labeled as “emerging infectious diseases” (EIDs) have received heightened scientific and public attention and resources. However, the label ‘emerging’ is rarely backed by quantitative analysis and is often used subjectively. This can lead to over-allocation of resources to diseases that are incorrectly labelled “emerging,” and insufficient allocation of resources to diseases for which evidence of an increasing or high sustained impact is strong. We suggest a simple quantitative approach, segmented regression, to characterize the trends and emergence of diseases. Segmented regression identifies one or more trends in a time series and determines the most statistically parsimonious split(s) (or joinpoints) in the time series. These joinpoints in the time series indicate time points when a change in trend occurred and may identify periods in which drivers of disease impact change. We illustrate the method by analyzing temporal patterns in incidence data for twelve diseases. This approach provides a way to classify a disease as currently emerging, re-emerging, receding, or stable based on temporal trends, as well as to pinpoint the time when the change in these trends happened. We argue that quantitative approaches to defining emergence based on the trend in impact of a disease can, with appropriate context, be used to prioritize resources for research and control. Implementing this more rigorous definition of an EID will require buy-in and enforcement from scientists, policy makers, peer reviewers and journal editors, but has the potential to improve resource allocation for global health.     

A new species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Caryospora</Emphasis> Léger, 1904 (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) from the endangered Round Island boa <Emphasis Type="Italic">Casarea dussumieri</Emphasis> (Schlegel) (Serpentes: Bolyeridae) of Round Island,Mauritius: an endangered parasite?

A new species of Caryospora Léger, 1904 (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae), C. durelli n. sp., is described from the endangered Round Island boa Casarea dussumieri (Schlegel) (Serpentes: Bolyeridae) from Round Island, Mauritius. Six of 11 hosts were infected. Oöcysts are spherical to subspherical, 19.2 × 18.2 (17.5–21 × 16–21) μm, n = 20, and have a shape index (mean length/mean width) of 1.05 (1.02–1.09). The bi-layered wall is composed of an outer layer of c.0.6 μm thick and an inner layer of c.0.4 μm thick. A micropyle, oöcyst residuum and polar granule are absent. Sporocysts are ellipsoidal, 14.7 × 11.0 (13–16 × 9.5–11.5) μm, n = 20, and have a shape index of 1.33. Both Stieda and substieda bodies are present. The sporocyst residuum measures c.12 × 4.5 μm, is surrounded by sporozoites and composed of numerous granules. Refractile bodies are present but not clearly visible. This is the first coccidian parasite reported from the family Bolyeridae and the first species of Caryospora reported from the Mascarenes. Conservation issues concerning parasites of endangered host species are discussed.