New highly divergent rRNA sequence among biodiverse genotypes of Enterocytozoon bieneusi strains isolated from humans in Gabon and Cameroon.

ABSTRACT: Intestinal microsporidiosis due to Enterocytozoon bieneusi is a leading cause of chronic diarrhea in severely immunocompromised human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive patients. It may be a public health problem in Africa due to the magnitude of the HIV pandemic and to poor sanitary conditions. We designed two prevalence studies of E. bieneusi in Central Africa, the first with HIV-positive patients from an urban setting in Gabon and the second with a nonselected rural population in Cameroon. Stool samples were analyzed by an immunofluorescence antibody test and PCR. Twenty-five out of 822 HIV-positive patients from Gabon and 22 out of 758 villagers from Cameroon were found to be positive for E. bieneusi. The prevalence rates of the two studies were surprisingly similar (3.0% and 2.9%).

SUBMITTER: Breton J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1951207 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature