Читать книгу Practical Guide to Diagnostic Parasitology - Lynne Shore Garcia - Страница 51

Coccidia are microscopic, spore-forming, single-celled, obligate intracellular parasites, which means that they must live and reproduce within an animal cell. These protozoa are acquired by ingestion of various meats or through fecal-oral transmission via contaminated food and/or water. In some cases, coccidia disseminate to other body sites, particularly in the severely compromised patient. These protozoa have both asexual and sexual cycles, the most common infective stage being the oocyst, containing sporocysts and/or sporozoites, all of which can be acquired through fecal-oral transmission. Representatives within this group include Cryptosporidium spp., Cyclospora cayetanensis, Isospora belli, and Sarcocystis spp.