A new coccidian parasite of the genus Caryospora Léger is described from the colubrid snake Boiga dendrophila Boie, 1827 imported from Kalimantan. Oocysts of Caryospora kalimaniunensis sp. n. are spherical, 18.7 (17.0-20.0) pm in diameter, with a bilayered slightly pitted and brownish oocyst wall. A micropyle and oocyst residuum are absent. One globular polar granule is present in 45% of sporulated oocysts. Sporocysts are ovoidal to ellipsoidal, 14.5 (13.0-15.5) x 10.5 (10.0-11.0) pm, with prominent Stieda and substieda bodies. Sporocyst residuum is present as small granules scattered among sporozoites. Sporozoites are elongate, lying lengthwise and parallel within the sporocyst and completely filling the sporocyst. Each sporo-zoite contains a spherical anterior and posterior refractile bodies.
A new coccidian parasite of the genus Caryospora Léger, 1904 is described from the colubrid snake Psammophis schokari (Forskâl, 1775). Oocysts of Caryospora maxima sp. n. are spherical or subspherical, 43.0 (40.0-46.0) X 42.1 (40.0-44.0) pm, with smooth and bilayered oocyst wall ca. 2.0 μιη thick. A micropyle, oocyst residuum and polar granule are absent. Sporocysls are broadly ellipsoidal, 21.3 (21.0-22.0) x 16.3 (16.0-17.0) μιη, with smooth, colourless and unilayered sporocyst wall. Sticda and substieda bodies are present. Sporocyst residuum is present as compact mass of granules lying centrally between sporozoites. Sporozoitcs arc elongate, arranged head to tail within sporocyst. Caryospora maxima represents the first coccidian species described from Psammophis schokari.
Parasitological examination of two ornate Nile monitors Varanus ornatus (Daudin, 1803) imported from Benin revealed the presence of a new species of Caryospora. Oocysts of Caryospora varaniornati sp. n. are spherical to slightly subspherical, 12.0 (11-12.5) × 11.5 (11-12) µm, without a micropyle and oocyst residuum, and occasionally possessing one small polar granule. Sporocysts are broadly ellipsoidal, 8.8 (8.5-9.5) × 6.7 (6.5-7) µm; a lentil-like Stieda body is present, ca. 0.5 × 1 µm; substieda body not visible. Experimental infection of a closely related host, Varanus niloticus (L.), did not lead to the oocyst excretion despite the fact that one of the experimentally inoculated monitors was immunosuppressed by dexamethasone. Histological examination did not reveal stages of coccidian development. Therefore, it is possible that C. varaniornati is strictly host specific.
Faecal examination of the long nosed vine snake Ahaetulla nasuta Lacépède, 1789 revealed two species of caryosporan coccidia. The morphology of one species fits well with a description of Caryospora ahaetullae Modrý et Koudela, 1994, the second is a previously undescribed species. Oocysts of Caryospora veselyi sp. n. were spherical, 18.9 (16.5-21.5) pm in diameter, with pitted and brownish oocyst wall about 1.5 pm thick. An irregular polar granule about 2,0 x 1.0 pm was observed in 35% of the oocysts examined. Sporocysts were octozoic, ovoidal to ellipsoidal, 13.7 (13.0-15.5) x 10.3 (9.0-11.0) pm with a shape index 1.3 (1.2-1.4). Stieda and substieda bodies were present. Sporocyst residuum was present as small granules of irregular size scattered among sporozoiles. Both species sporulated within 72 hours. The infected snake did not show clinical signs of disease.
Parasitological examination of faeces of 26 snakes kept in Bio-Ken Snake Farm, Watamu, Kenya revealed new species of Eimeria Schneider, 1875 in Telescopus semiannulatus Smith, 1849. Oocysts of Eimeria arabukosokokensis sp. n. are cylindrical 26.8 (25-29) × 15.1 (14-16) µm with smooth, bilayered oocyst wall and a single polar granule. The broadly ellipsoidal sporocysts average 9.3 (8.5-10) × 7.1 (6.5-7.5) µm and possess single-layered wall composed of two plates joined by longitudinal suture. Caryospora cf. regentensis Daszak et Ball, 2001 is reported from Dendroaspis angusticeps (Smith, 1849) and two additional forms of Caryospora Léger, 1904 are reported and morphologically characterised from a single specimen of Psammophis orientalis Broadley, 1977. Systematic status of Caryospora spp. in sub-Saharan Psammophis Boie, 1827 is discusses and all species reported by various authors to date are suggested to be treated as species inquirendae until more detailed data on these parasites and their hosts are available.
Oocysts/sporocysts of Sarcocystis sp. were found in the intestinal contents of the smooth snake, Coronella austriaca I .aurenti. Common voles Microtus arvalis (Pallas), bank voles Clethrionomys glareolus (Schreber), green lizards Lacerta viridis (Laurcnti), and common wall lizards Podarcis muralis (Laurenti) were experimentally inoculated as potential intermediate hosts. Only common wall lizards were found to be susceptible intermediate hosts. Transparent, macroscopically hardly visible sarcocysts found in tail striated muscles of lizards were 480 (390-640) x 210 (190-230) pm in size 72 days post-infection. Using the light microscopy, the sarcocyst wall was about 1 pm thick with an apparent layer of villi approx. 2 pm thick. Ullraslruclurally, the primary cyst wall was characterised by spine-like villar protrusions up to 2.5 pm in length and 0.5 pm in diameter. Based on sarcocyst morphology and experimental data, the discovered Sarcocystis species is suggested to be conspccific with Sarcocystis lacertae Babudieri, 1932. A redescription of Sarcocystis lacertae is presented in this study.
Two hundred and seventeen captive great apes (150 chimpanzees, Pan troglodytes; 14 bonobos, Pan paniscus; 53 western gorillas, Gorilla gorilla) and 20 personnel from thirteen European zoos and two African sanctuaries were sampled and examined in order to determine the occurrence of Enterocytozoon bieneusi and species of Encephalitozoon in faecal specimens and to compare the epidemiological situation between zoos and sanctuaries. Microsporidia were detected at all sampling sites. Sequence analyses of ITS amplicons generated by using microsporidia-specific primers determined the presence of microsporidia in 87 samples including 13 humans; since two cases of simultaneous occurrence of Encephalitozoon cuniculi and Enterocytozoon bieneusi were identified, 89 full-length ITS sequences were obtained, namely 78 Encephalitozoon cuniculi genotype I, five E. cuniculi genotype II, two E. hellem 1A and four Enterocytozoon bieneusi. No Encephalitozoon intestinalis-positive samples were identified. This is the first report of Encephalitozoon species and Enterocytozoon bieneusi genotypes in captive great apes kept under various conditions and the first record of natural infection with E. hellem in great apes. A comparison of zoos and sanctuaries showed a significantly higher prevalence of microsporidia in sanctuaries (P<0.001), raising a question about the factors affecting the occurrence of microsporidia in epidemiologically and sanitarily comparable types of facilities.
Coprological examinations of three snowy owls, Nyctea scandiaca (L.) revealed the presence of a coecidium of the genus Eimeria that apparently represents a previously undescribcd species. Oocysts of Eimeria nycteae sp. n. were spherical to subspherical, 23.6 (23-25) x 22.2 (22-23) pm with a shape index 1.1 (1.0-1.1). The oocyst wall was bilayered, smooth - 0.75 pin thick. A polar granule was absent. Sporocysts were ellipsoidal, 18.5 (18-19) x 9.8 (9-10) pm with a shape index 1.9 (1.8-2.1) with Stieda and substieda bodies. A sporocyst residuum was present as small granules scattered among sporozoitcs. The sequence of the sporulation process of this new species is given and illustrated with photomicrographs. Owls examined did not exhibit any signs of alteration of their health status.
Six young tortoises Testudo marginata Schoepff, 1792 were experimentally infected with Hemolivia mauritanica (Sergent et Sergent, 1904). The prepatent period ranged from 6 to 8 weeks. Young, smaller, club-like forms (6-9 × 3-6 µm) of gametocytes appeared in the peripheral blood first, whereas mature, elongated, cylindrical forms (9-12 × 5-7 µm) were detected after 1-2 weeks and predominated during later patency. Three of the infected tortoises were euthanized and dissected to study the endogenous stages. Meronts occurred in the cells of the reticulo-endothelial system and in the erythrocytes; these were observed mostly in parenchymatous organs. Mature forms measured 14.2 × 9.3 µm and contained 7-12 merozoites. Cysts with two (exceptionally one) cystozoites were also found predominantly in parenchymatous organs and measured 14.8 × 7.9 µm. Pathological changes attributable to Hemolivia were mild and limited to liver and kidneys. The role of individual developmental stages of haemogregarines is discussed with respect to evolution of heteroxenous life cycle and long-term persistence of parasites in their intermediate hosts.
Four laboratory-hatched European kestrels Falco tinnunculus L. were fed on laboratory mice and common voles Microtus arvalis Pallas previously inoculated with different doses of sporulated oocysts of Caryospora kutzeri Böer, 1982. Two kestrels that were fed infected mice shed C. kutzeri oocysts 6 days after ingesting murine tissues. To compare direct and indirect transmissions, two of the kestrels were subsequently directly inoculated with 105 sporulated C. kutzeri oocysts and became patent on days 8 and 9 and shed caryosporan oocysts up to day 25 post inoculation. Additionally, four mice were inoculated with 106 oocysts in order to examine mouse tissues for the presence of developmental stages of C. kutzeri. No coccidian stages were found in the tissues of inoculated mice. The experiment showed that developmental stages of C. kutzeri are able to survive in mouse tissues and cause infection of suitable host after their ingestion.