Table
1. Microsporidial species pathogenic in humans, clinical manifestations and
treatment.
Microsporidial
species |
Clinical
manifestations |
Treatment |
|
|
Immunocompromised
patients |
Immunocompetent
persons |
|
Enterocytozoon
bieneusi |
¡P
Chronic diarrhea, wasting syndrome
¡P
Cholangiopathy, cholangitis, acalculous cholecystitis
¡P
Sinusitis, bronchitis, pneumonitis |
¡P
Self-limiting diarrhea
¡P
Asymptomatic carriers (?) |
¡P
No curative treatment available.
¡P
Clinical improvement with albendazole in some patients, but no
eradication of parasites.
¡P
Preliminary results on fumagillin promising.
¡P
Antiretroviral treatment of HIV-infected persons resulting in
improvement of immune function may lead to clinical improvement and
eradication of parasites. |
Encephalitozoon
intestinalis
(formerly Septata intestinalis) |
¡P
Diarrhea
¡P
Cholangiopathy, cholangitis, acalculous cholecystitis
¡P
Sinusitis
¡P
Urinary tract infection, nephritis
¡P
Bone infection |
¡P
Self-limiting diarrhea (?)
¡P
Asymptomatic carriers (?) |
¡P
Albendazole |
Encephalitozoon
cuniculi |
¡P
Disseminated infection
¡P
Keratoconjunctivitis
¡P
Sinusitis, pneumonitis
¡P
Urinary tract infection, nephritis
¡P
Hepatitis
¡P
Peritonitis
¡P
Encephalitis, brain abscesses, seizure disorder |
¡P
not described |
¡P
Albendazole |
Encephalitozoon
hellem |
¡P
Disseminated infection
¡P
Keratoconjunctivitis
¡P
Sinusitis, bronchitis, pneumonia
¡P
Nephritis, ureteritis, cystitis, prostatitis |
¡P
not described |
¡P
Albendazole |
Pleistophora
sp. |
¡P
Myositis |
¡P
not described |
¡P
unknown |
Trachipleistophora
hominis |
¡P
Myositis
¡P
Keratoconjunctivitis
¡P
Sinusitis |
¡P
not described |
¡P
Albendazole (?) |
Trachipleistophora
anthropophthera |
¡P
Disseminated infection |
¡P
not described |
¡P
unknown |
Vittaforma
corneae
(formerly: Nosema corneum) |
¡P
Disseminated infection |
¡P
Keratitis |
¡P
In vitro: Albendazole effective.
¡P
No experience with chemotherapy in vivo.
¡P
Successful keratoplasty in one patient with keratitis. |
Brachiola connori (formerly Nosema connori) |
¡P
Disseminated infection |
¡P
not described |
¡P
unknown |
Brachiola
vesicularum
|
¡P
Myositis |
¡P
not described |
¡P
unknown |
Brachiola
algerae
(formerly Nosema algerae)
|
¡P
not described |
¡P
Keratitis |
¡P
unknown |
Nosema
ocularum |
¡P
not described |
¡P
Keratitis |
¡P
Successful corneal transplantation. |
Microsporidium
ceylonensis** |
¡P
not described |
¡P
Corneal ulcer |
¡P
unknown |
Microsporidium
africanum** |
¡P
not described |
¡P
Corneal ulcer |
¡P
unknown |
*
Species not yet classified
**
Microsporidium is a collective generic name for microsporidia that can not be
classified because available information is not sufficient