Microsporidiosis | |
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Classification and external resources | |
Specialty | infectious disease |
ICD-10 | B60.8 |
ICD-9-CM | 136.8 |
DiseasesDB | 31870 |
eMedicine | med/1469 |
MeSH | D016881 |
Microsporidiosis is an opportunistic intestinal infection that causes diarrhea and wasting in immunocompromised individuals (HIV, for example). It results from different species of microsporidia, a group of microbial (unicellular) fungi.
In HIV infected individuals, microsporidiosis generally occurs when CD4+ T cell counts fall below 150.
Although it is classified as a protozoal disease in ICD-10, their phylogenetic placement has been resolved to be within the Fungi, and some sources classify microsporidiosis as a mycosis, however, they are highly divergent and rapidly evolving.
At least 14 microsporidian species have been recognized as human pathogens, spread across eight genera:
The primary causes are Enterocytozoon bieneusi and Encephalitozoon intestinalis.
(Coded to image at right).
Fumagillin has been used in the treatment.
Another agent used is albendazole.