… And Now Microsporidiosis
Authors: Louis M. Weiss
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1995)

Editorials15 December 1995… And Now MicrosporidiosisLouis M. Weiss, MD, MPHLouis M. Weiss, MD, MPHFrom Albert Einstein College of Medicine Bronx, NY 10461.Author, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-123-12-199512150-00012 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail This is the decade of emerging infectious diseases. It seems that a "new" disease or an infectious cause for old diseases is being announced at astounding rates. Microsporidiosis is one such infection. Microsporidian infection in humans, usually those with immune deficiencies, were infrequently reported before the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) epidemic [1, 2]. Microsporidia are now being increasingly recognized as important opportunistic pathogens in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Microsporidiosis has also been described in immunocompetent hosts [3]. Diseases caused by the different microsporidia that infect humans include diarrhea, keratoconjunctivitis, disseminated disease, hepatitis, myositis, kidney and urogenital infection, ascites, cholangitis, ...References1. Weber R, Bryan RT, Schwartz DA, Owen RL. Human microsporidial infections. Clin Microbiol Rev. 1994;7:426-61. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar2. Wittner M, Tanowitz HB, Weiss LM. Parasitic infections in AIDS patients. Cryptosporidiosis, isosporiasis, microsporidiosis, cyclosporiasis. Infect Dis Clin North Am. 1993;7:569-86. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. Sandfort J, Hannemann A, Gelderblom H, Starrk K, Owen RL, Ruf B. Enterocytozoon bieneusi infection in an immunocompetent patient who had acute diarrhea and who was not infected with the human immunodeficiency virus. Clin Infect Dis. 1994;19:514-6. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. Sprague V, Vavra J. Systematics of the Microsporidia. In: Bulla LA, Cheng TC, eds. Comparative Pathobiology. Vol 2. 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Observations on the pathological spectrum and clinical course of microsporidiosis in men infected with the human immunodeficiency virus: follow-up study. Clin Infect Dis. 1995;20:1229-35. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar18. Kotler DP, Orenstein JM. Prevalence of intestinal microsporidosis in HIV-infected individuals referred for gastroenterological evaluation. Am J Gastroenterol. 1994;89:1998-2002. MedlineGoogle Scholar19. Coyle C, Tanowitz HB, Kotler D, Orenstein J, Wittner M, Cali A, et al . Microsporidial diarrhea in AIDS: use of the polymerase chain reaction for epidemiology [Abstract]. Clin Infect Dis. 1994;19:581. Google Scholar20. Molina JM, Oksenhendler E, Beauvais B, Sarfati C, Jaccard A, Derouin F, et al . Disseminated microsporidiosis due to Septata intestinalis in patients with AIDS: clinical features and response to albendazole therapy. J Infect Dis. 1995;171:245-9. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar21. Dieterich DT, Lew EA, Kotler KP, Poles MA, Orenstein JM. Treatment with albendazole for intestinal disease due to Enterocytozoon bieneusi in patients with AIDS. J Infect Dis. 1994;169:1789-93. CrossrefGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: From Albert Einstein College of Medicine Bronx, NY 10461.Grant Support: By National Institutes of Health grant AI31788.Corresponding Author: Louis M. Weiss, MD, MPH, Division of Infectious Diseases, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Room 504 Forchheimer Building, Bronx, NY 10461. 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