Isospora

Isospora /Isos·po·ra/ (i-sos´por-ah) a genus of sporozoan parasites (order Coccidia), found in birds, amphibians, reptiles, and various mammals, including humans; I. bel´li and I. hom´inis cause coccidiosis in humans.

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I·sos·po·ra (-sspr-)

n.

A genus of coccidia whose species are parasitic chiefly in mammals and include a species capable of causing a mucous diarrhea, anorexia, nausea, and abdominal pain in humans.

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Isospora

[ī·sos′pə·rə]

Etymology: Gk, isos, equal + sporos, seed

a genus of coccidian protozoa found in birds, amphibians, reptiles, and mammals, including humans, that infects the epithelial cells of the small intestine. It is the least common cause of coccidiosis. It includes the species I. belli and I. hominis. See also isosporiasis.

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Isospora [i-sos´po-rah]

a genus of sporozoan parasites (order Coccidia), found in birds, amphibians, reptiles, and various mammals, including humans; I. bel´li is the etiologic agent of coccidiosis in humans. The former species I. ho´minis has been reclassified as two species, Sarcocystis bovihominis and S. suihominis.

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Isospora

a genus of apicomplexan parasites in the family Eimeriidae found mainly in dogs and cats. These protozoa develop intracellularly in the cells of the intestinal epithelium and some of them are associated with attacks of diarrhea. Includes I. almaataensis (pigs), I. bahiensis (dogs), I. bigemina (Cystoisospora burrowsi), I. burrowsi (C. burrowsi), I. buteonis (raptor birds), I. canis (C. canis), I. felis (C. felis), I. heydoni (C. heydoni), I. neorivolta (dog), I. ohioensis (C. ohioensis), I. ratti (rats), I. rivolta (C. rivolta), I. suis (pigs), I. wallacei (Besnoitia wallacei).

Isospora felis unsporulated oocyst (left) and sporulated oocyst (right). By permission from Bowman DD, Georgis' Parasitology for Veterinarians 8E, Saunders, 2002