Patent ID: 7250286

Claim:
A method for continuous culture of an obligate intracellular protozoan of class Sporozoea in the asexual phase of development, comprising: (a) providing a cell culture system comprising an immortalized mammalian phagocytic host cell suitable for growing Sporozoea species; and (b) contacting the host cell with an infectious stage of an obligate intracellular protozoan of class Sporozoea resulting in the growth of a merozoite population that is capable of continuous growth in the asexual phase in the host cell; wherein said contacting is performed under conditions effective for infection of the host cells; and (c) propagating the merozoite population in its asexually-dividing form; wherein the obligate intracellular protozoan is a species that belongs to a genus selected from the group consisting of Isospora, Cystoisospora, Cryptospondium, Eimeria , and combinations thereof; and wherein when the obligate intracellular protozoan is a species that belongs to the genus Eimeria , the Eimeria species is one that can infect an avian host.