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J Zoo Wildl Med 2022 Mar;53(1):70-82

Department of Pathobiology and Population Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, Hatfield AL9 7TA, United Kingdom.

Infection with systemic species (systemic isosporiasis [SI]) is common in passerine birds and may cause substantial mortality in zoological collections. Ten years of postmortem records of 26 species of captive, nonnative passerine birds maintained at the Zoological Society of London, London Zoo, plus seven free-ranging species found dead within the zoo, were reviewed to assess cause of death and occurrence of SI (presence of merozoites in tissue impression smears and/or polymerase chain reaction [PCR] testing for DNA). The records of 287 juveniles and adults were reviewed, of which 161 had SI test results. Read More

AIDS 2022 03;36(3):485-486

HIV Unit.

Parasitol Res 2022 Jan 6;121(1):403-411. Epub 2022 Jan 6.

Departamento de Parasitología, Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Infecciosas, ANLIS Dr. Carlos G. Malbrán. Avenida Vélez Sarsfield 563, (CP 1281), Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Cystoisospora belli causes chronic diarrhoea, acalculous cholecystitis, cholangiopathy and disseminated cystoisosporosis in patients with AIDS. Clinical manifestations and histological stages during C. belli infection in a patient with AIDS and liver disease were described. Read More

Am J Trop Med Hyg 2021 11 29;106(2):678-680. Epub 2021 Nov 29.

Laboratory of Human Parasitology, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.

Diarrhea in an immunocompromised patient has a broad infectious differential. Diagnosis is difficult despite advances in diagnostic modalities. We report a case of a 45-year-old Nigerian woman who immigrated to the United States 2 years ago. Read More

Indian J Med Microbiol 2022 Jan-Mar;40(1):163-165. Epub 2021 Nov 10.

Department of Laboratory Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China. Electronic address:

Cystoisospora belli (C. belli) is an opportunistic coccidian parasite. This case is the first reported C. Read More

Indian J Gastroenterol 2021 Oct 27;40(5):512-518. Epub 2021 Sep 27.

Department of Microbiology, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research , Puducherry, 605 006, India.

Introduction: Cystoisospora belli (C. belli) is the only pathogenic species of the Cystoisospora genus responsible for severe diarrhea in immunocompromised patients. Most common microscopic method of diagnosis is less sensitive due to intermittent shedding of oocysts. Read More

Mayo Clin Proc 2021 09;96(9):2474-2479

Advisor to residents and Chief Resident of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN. Electronic address:

Sci Rep 2021 08 5;11(1):15904. Epub 2021 Aug 5.

National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research); Key Laboratory of Parasite and Vector Biology, National Health Commission of People's Republic of China, WHO Collaborating Centre for Tropical Diseases, Shanghai, 200025, China.

Blastocystis hominis and Cystoisospora belli are considered to be common opportunistic intestinal protozoa in HIV/AIDS patients. In order to investigate the prevalence and genetic characteristics of B. hominis and C. Read More

Turk J Haematol 2021 Aug 26;38(3):229-230. Epub 2021 Jul 26.

Honorary Professor, Dr. D.Y. Patil University, Pune, India

Sci Rep 2021 06 24;11(1):13235. Epub 2021 Jun 24.

Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Vanemuise 46, 51014, Tartu, Estonia.

Carotenoid plumage coloration is an important sexually selected trait in many bird species. However, the mechanisms ensuring the honesty of signals based on carotenoid pigments remain unclear. It has recently been suggested that intestinal integrity, which is affected by gut parasites and microbiota and influences nutrient absorption and acquisition, mediates the relationship between carotenoid ornamentation and individual quality. Read More

Biomedica 2021 05 31;41(Supl. 1):17-22. Epub 2021 May 31.

Centro Nacional de Secuenciación Genómica, Sede de Investigación Universitaria, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia.

Cystoisospora belli is an intestinal Apicomplexan parasite associated with diarrheal illness and disseminated infections in humans, mainly immunocompromised individuals such as those living with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). An irregular administration of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in HIV patients may increase the risk of opportunistic infections like cystoisosporiasis. We describe here a case of C. Read More

Parasitol Int 2021 Oct 18;84:102386. Epub 2021 May 18.

College of Science, Health, Engineering and Education, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, 6150, Australia; Australian National Phenome Centre, Health Futures Institute, Murdoch University, Harry Perkins Building, Perth, Western Australia, 6150, Australia. Electronic address:

An Isospora species, Isospora amphiboluri, originally described by Canon in 1967 and later by McAllister et al. (1995), was isolated from a central netted dragon (Ctenophorus nuchalis) housed at a wildlife rehabilitation centre in Perth, Western Australia. Sporulated oocysts of Isospora amphiboluri (n = 30) are spherical, 24. Read More

J Infect Dev Ctries 2021 04 30;15(4):599-602. Epub 2021 Apr 30.

Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey.

Cystoisospora belli is a coccidian parasite that causes prolonged watery diarrhea especially among immunocompromised patients. Herein, we report a renal transplant patient who complaints of alternating diarrhea and review of literature related to cystoisosporiasis amongst the transplant recipients. Read More

Parasitol Int 2021 Aug 16;83:102348. Epub 2021 Apr 16.

Vector and Waterborne Pathogens Research Group, Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch 6150, Western Australia, Australia.

A new Isospora species is described from New Holland honeyeaters (Phylidonyris novaehollandiae). Sporulated oocysts (n = 25) were characterised as subspheroidal, 29-32 × 28-31 (29.8 × 29. Read More

Parasitol Res 2021 Jul 2;120(7):2585-2593. Epub 2021 Apr 2.

Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, BR-465 km 7, Seropédica, RJ, 23897-000, Brazil.

Woodcreepers are passerines of the family Dendrocolaptidae, which have a high forest dependency. The current work aimed to redescribe Isospora striata McQuistion et al. 1997, from two new hosts in protected areas in Brazil, revealing new localities of parasitism, in addition to providing preliminary genotypic identifications via sequencing of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI) gene from both host species. Read More

Medicine (Baltimore) 2021 Mar;100(10):e24890

Department of Medicine.

Rationale: Cystoisosporiasis is an intestinal infectious disease caused by a coccidian protozoa, Cystoisospora belli (C. belli). It can cause prolonged and refractory diarrhea most commonly in immunocompromised patients, while immunocompetent individuals usually exhibit no symptoms or self-limited diarrhea. Read More

J Parasitol 2021 01;107(1):129-131

Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Casper, Wyoming 82601.

The summer tanager, Piranga rubra (L., 1758) is a medium-sized songbird formerly belonging to the tanager family Thraupidae but now has been placed within the family Cardinalidae. Nothing is known about the coccidian parasites of this stunningly colorful bird. Read More

Parasitol Res 2021 Mar 18;120(3):1037-1047. Epub 2021 Jan 18.

Vector and Waterborne Pathogens Research Group, Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, 6150, Australia.

A new coccidian species, Isospora lugensae n. sp., was described from a single Kerguelen petrel (Lugensa brevirostris). Read More

Parasitol Res 2021 Jan 11;120(1):257-265. Epub 2020 Nov 11.

Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Shiraz University, P.O. Box 71441-69155, Shiraz, Iran.

This study was conducted to investigate the Isosporoid protozoan infections in finch types. Fecal samples were collected from marketed domestic Java sparrows (Lonchura oryzivora), colored and white Zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata), and European goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis) in southern Iran. The coccidial oocysts were recovered and investigated according to the morphological features and the ribosomal gene markers. Read More

J Infect Chemother 2021 Feb 31;27(2):348-349. Epub 2020 Oct 31.

Lung Cancer and Respiratory Disease Center, Yamanashi Prefectural Central Hospital, Japan.

Cystoisospora belli infection is regarded as an indicator disease of AIDS in Japan; however, only a few case reports showing this association are present. Our case study involved a 49-year-old Thai woman living in Japan since her marriage to a Japanese man. She was repeatedly hospitalized owing to persistent diarrhea. Read More

Turk J Haematol 2021 Jun 28;38(2):171-173. Epub 2020 Oct 28.

İstanbul University İstanbul Medical Faculty, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology, İstanbul, Turkey

Int J Surg Pathol 2021 Apr 5;29(2):169-173. Epub 2020 Oct 5.

21370University of Florida Jacksonville, FL, USA.

Multiple groups have recently reported involvement of the gallbladder mucosa of immunocompetent patients by cystoisospora organisms. However, this has recently been disproved with the support of molecular and ultrastructural studies. Here we present a summary of these events, recounting how this pseudo-Cystoisospora epidemic began and ended. Read More

Food Waterborne Parasitol 2020 Sep 8;20:e00089. Epub 2020 Sep 8.

Department of Veterinary Medicine and Public Health, Sokoine University of Agriculture, P.O. Box 3021, Morogoro, Tanzania.

Waterborne parasitic diseases form one of common and important public health and economic problems in low- and middle-income countries, though little is known on the burden and patterns of these diseases in most regions. This systematic scoping review informs on the prevalence and pattern of waterborne parasitic infections in eastern Africa from 1st of January 1941 to 31st of December 2019. The review found limited number of published studies on waterborne parasitic diseases, though 13 of the 15 studied countries in eastern Africa provided one or more published report(s) totalling 47 reports. Read More

Parasitol Res 2020 Oct 12;119(10):3549-3553. Epub 2020 Aug 12.

School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, 6150, Australia.

From a longitudinal survey conducted on 30 Danish mink farms in 2016, 11.0% of faecal samples (456/4140) were positive for Cystoisospora laidlawi oocysts by microscopy, with 60% (189/315) of mink being positive at least once during the study period. Morphological analysis of sporulated oocysts identified Cystoisospora oocysts measuring 34. Read More

J Zoo Wildl Med 2020 Jun;51(2):391-397

Zoological Pathology Program, University of Illinois, Brookfield, IL 60513, USA.

Systemic isosporosis (formerly atoxoplasmosis), is a protozoal infection that causes death in nestling and fledgling passerine birds impacting ex situ breeding and reintroduction programs. Because current antemortem diagnostic tests lack sensitivity, a qPCR was developed for detection of spp. using primers and a fluorescent-tagged MGB probe targeting the large subunit (28s) ribosomal RNA gene (assay efficiency = >100%; sensitivity = <1 dsDNA copy). Read More

J Parasitol 2020 04;106(2):291-294

Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Casper, Wyoming 82601.

The wood thrush, Hylocichla mustelina, is a North American passerine bird closely related to other thrushes and is widely distributed across North America. Nothing is known of the coccidian parasites of this bird. Feces from a single H. Read More

Int J Surg Pathol 2020 Dec 26;28(8):884-886. Epub 2020 Jan 26.

Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.

J Avian Med Surg 2019 Sep;33(3):265-277

International Zoo Veterinary Group, Station House, Keighley, West Yorkshire BD21 4NQ, England.

Based on a review of species mortalities, systemic species was identified as the primary cause of death in 22% (19 of 87) of blue-crowned laughing thrushes (BCLTs; ) at the Jersey Zoo between 1997 and 2016. Fifty-eight percent of the affected birds were between 1 and 2 years old, and in 89% of cases, death occurred between August and December. Abnormal clinical findings in BCLTs with species infections included hepatomegaly and pectoral muscle myositis in 79% of the cases. Read More

Transpl Infect Dis 2020 Feb 9;22(1):e13237. Epub 2020 Jan 9.

Department of Nephrology, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário Lisboa Central, Lisbon, Portugal.

Cystoisospora belli colitis is a rare complication of immunosuppression in solid organ transplant recipients. We describe a case of Cystoisospora belli infection with colitis following renal transplantation. Read More

Parasitol Int 2020 Apr 13;75:102040. Epub 2019 Dec 13.

Departamento de Biologia Animal, ICBS, UFRRJ, BR-465 km 7, 23897-000 Seropédica, RJ, Brazil. Electronic address:

In the current work, Isospora massardi Lopes, Berto, Luz, Galvão, Ferreira & Lopes, [10] is identified from white-necked thrushes Turdus albicollis Vieillot, 1818, rufous-bellied thrushes Turdus rufiventris Vieillot, 1818 and from a new host, the yellow-legged thrush Turdus flavipes (Vieillot, 1818) in a new locality, the Itatiaia National Park, in Southeastern Brazil, providing a preliminary genotypic characterization via sequencing of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI) and 18S small subunit ribosomal RNA genes. The oocysts and sporocysts of I. massardi of the current study are morphologically similar to the original description and are uniform in the proportionality of width on length, but exhibited different patterns of size associated with each host species. Read More