Isospora Explained

Isospora is a genus of internal parasites in the subclass Coccidia.^{[1] [2]}

It is responsible for the condition isosporiasis, which causes acute, non-bloody diarrhoea in immunocompromised individuals.

Taxonomy

At least 248 species were originally described in this genus. For instance, the house sparrow has 12 species of Isospora.^{[1] [2]} However, most species are little studied, and some authors doubt whether all should be recognized as distinct species. In 2005, all former Isospora species that infect mammalian hosts were reclassified as members of the genus Cystoisospora, a member of the Sarcocystidae family.^[3]

Notes and References

1. Grulet. O.. Landau. I.. Millet. P.. Baccam. D.. Les Isospora du Moineau. I — Compléments à l'étude systématique. Annales de Parasitologie Humaine et Comparée. 61. 2. 1986. 155–160. 0003-4150. 10.1051/parasite/1986612155. free.
2. Grulet. O.. Landau. I.. Millet. P.. Baccam. D.. Les Isospora du Moineau. II — Études sur la biologie. Annales de Parasitologie Humaine et Comparée. 61. 2. 1986. 161–192. 0003-4150. 10.1051/parasite/1986612161. free.
3. Barta . JR . Schrenzel . MD . Carreno . R . Rideout . BA . The genus Atoxoplasma (Garnham 1950) as a junior objective synonym of the genus Isospora (Schneider 1881) species infecting birds and resurrection of Cystoisospora (Frenkel 1977) as the correct genus for Isospora species infecting mammals . The Journal of Parasitology . June 2005 . 91 . 3 . 726–7 . 16108579.