Encephalitozoonosis (nosematosis) of the cornea.

Abstract

Infection of mammals by protozoa of the genus Nosema, of the class Microsporidea of the subphylum Cnidospora (Fig. Since that time the parasite has been found in every major group of animals, including other pro- tozoa, helminths, insects, fish, amphibians, reptiles, and possibly birds (cf. Shadduck and Pakes, I97I), but only a single acceptable example of human infection has been reported (Matsubayashi, Koike, Mikata, Takei, and Hagiwara, I959). The patient was a 9-year-oldJapanese boy who had developed meningo-encephalitis (the eyes were said to be normal); oval bodies resembling Nosema cuniculi were found in the cerebrospinal fluid and urine and these organisms were propagated in mice. While this diagnosis was thought to be beyond reasonable doubt by Petri (i969), it had been questioned by others on the grounds that mice (which also harbour microsporidia) were used for inoculation (Innes, Zeman, Frankel, and Borners, I962). CNIDOSPORA