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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Environmental Microbial & Food Safety Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #410789
Research Project: Detection and Characterization of Zoonotic and Emerging Parasites Affecting Food Safety and Public Health

Location: Environmental Microbial & Food Safety Laboratory

Title: First report of Enterocytozoon bieneusi after an allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant in a pediatric patient from Argentina

Author
item MENA, CRISTIAN - Universidad Nacional De Cordoba
item PÉREZ GARÓFALO, MAGALÍ - Collaborator
item PERAZZO, JULIANA - Collaborator
item EPELBAUM, CAROLINA - Collaborator
item CASTRO, GONZALO - Collaborator
item SICILIA, PAOLA - Collaborator
item BARNES, ANDRÉS - Collaborator
item GUASCONI, LORENA - Universidad Nacional De Cordoba
item BURSTEIN, VERÓNICA - Universidad Nacional De Cordoba
item BECCACECE, IGANCIO - Universidad Nacional De Cordoba
item ALMEIDA, MARIEL - Universidad Nacional De Cordoba
item CERVI, LAURA - Universidad Nacional De Cordoba
item Santin-Duran, Monica
item CHIAPELLO, LAURA - Universidad Nacional De Cordoba

Submitted to: Emerging Infectious Diseases
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/5/2024
Publication Date: 2/8/2024
Citation: Mena, C.J., Pérez Garófalo, M., Perazzo, J., Epelbaum, C., Castro, G., Sicilia, P., Barnes, A., Guasconi, L., Burstein, V.L., Beccacece, I., Almeida, M.A., Cervi, L., Santin, M., Chiapello, L.S. 2024. First report of Enterocytozoon bieneusi after an allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant in a pediatric patient from Argentina. Emerging Infectious Diseases. 30(3): 613-616. https://doi.org/10.3201/eid3003.231580.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3201/eid3003.231580

Interpretive Summary: Microsporidia is a diverse group of obligate intracellular parasites that infect a humans and a broad range of animals. Among them, Enterocytozoon bieneusi is the most frequently reported Microsporidia species in humans causing intestinal infections. Here, we report the first time of an Enterocytozoon bieneusi infection in a pediatric hematopoietic stem- transplant recipient in Argentina. Molecular tools confirmed extraintestinal dissemination of the parasite and identified the isolate genotype as D. This report is helpful to scientists, physicians, and public health agencies as it highlights the need to include microsporidiosis in the differential diagnosis in high-risk groups in which opportunistic infections are expected.

Technical Abstract: The study describes the first case of Enterocytozoon bieneusi infection in a hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipient child in Argentina. Spores were visualized in stools using Calcofluor White and modified trichrome stainings. PCR/sequencing identified E. bieneusi genotype D in stool and liver samples confirming extraintestinal dissemination of the parasite.