Encephalitozoon cuniculi PCR test

Encephalitozoon cuniculi is a single celled parasite belonging to the phylum Microsporidia. Microsporidia are obligate intracellular parasitic fungi which can infect any animal groups. Encephalitozoon cuniculi is particularly associated with disease in captive and wild rabbit populations; however, it has also been reported in dogs, cats, foxes, captive monkeys, mink and even in humans. Animals infected with this fungus may not develop symptoms and may become potential carriers of the fungus.

E. cuniculi can form spores which are the infective form of the organism. Spores are coated with a thick wall which enables them to be very resistant to harsh environmental conditions, so they can survive for a long time in the environment. Once a spore gets into an animal’s intestinal tract or airway, the spore will send out a polar tubule to infect host cells. Through the polar tubule, the spore injects its sporoplasm into the host cell. The sporoplasm then develops into its proliferative form (known as a meront) by merogeny (binary fission) or schizogony (multiple fission). The meronts will differentiate into sporonts, and subsequently into sporoblasts. Sporoblasts will develop their polar tube, disc, anterior and posterior vacuoles, and plasma membrane, and become mature infective spores.

Although E. cuniculi is mainly reported in rabbits, this parasite is becoming an important concern to human health since people with compromised immune system may be subject to the infection. The fungus can infect kidney, lung, brain and other vital organs. A vaccine is not available and there is no standardized treatment protocol for people infected with this fungus.

E. cuniculi is difficult to diagnose because of its similarity to other microbial pathogens. Serological detection may not be useful because many animals may have cleared prior exposure to the fungus. Molecular detection by polymerase chain reaction is a useful alternative since this method is highly specific and sensitive.

Utilities:

Help confirm the disease causing agent
Shorten the time required to confirm a clinical diagnosis
Help identify carriers of E. cuniculi
Help ensure that animal colonies are free of E. cuniculi
Early prevention of spread of the pathogen among individuals
Minimize personnel exposure to this pathogen
Safety monitoring of biological products that derive from rabbits and other animals

References:
Santaniello, A., Cimmino, I., Dipineto, L., Agognon, A. L., Beguinot, F., Formisano, P., Fioretti, A., Menna, L. F., & Oriente, F. (2021). Zoonotic risk of Encephalitozoon cuniculi in animal-assisted interventions: laboratory strategies for the diagnosis of infections in humans and animals. Intl. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, 18(17), 9333. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18179333.

Specimen requirements: 0.2 ml feces, or rectal swab, or urine, or CSF, or environmental swab.

Contact Zoologix if advice is needed to determine an appropriate specimen type for a specific diagnostic application. For specimen types not listed here, please contact Zoologix to confirm specimen acceptability and shipping instructions.

For all specimen types, if there will be a delay in shipping, or during very warm weather, refrigerate specimens until shipped and ship with a cold pack unless more stringent shipping requirements are specified. Frozen specimens should be shipped so as to remain frozen in transit. See shipping instructions for more information.

Turnaround time: 2 business days

Methodology: Qualitative real time polymerase chain reaction

Normal range: Nondetected