Eimeria species infecting wood mice (genus Apodemus) and the transfer of two species to Mus musculus

Abstract

SUMMARYCharacteristics of four species of Eimeria isolated from Apodemus sylvaticus are described. From oocyst morphology, three are identified as E. apionodes, E. hungaryensis and E. uptoni, the fourth being unnamed. Cloning demonstrated that oocysts of E. hungaryensis were polymorphic. Previous literature relating to the taxonomy is discussed and discrepancies outlined. Species isolated from A. sylvaticus were not transmissible to Clethrionomys glareolus, but both E. hungaryensis and E. apionodes have been passaged through immunosuppressed laboratory mice, the former species more than 16 times. In both A. sylvaticus and immunosuppressed laboratory mice, endogenous development of E. hungaryensis occurred mainly in enterocytes near the tips of the villi in the first half of the small intestine, with a few parasites in the rest of the small intestine and into the large intestine. The pre-patent period was 2 days in both hosts but oocyst output was higher in the natural hosts. E. apionodes parasitized enterocytes on the sides or at the base of the villi, mainly in the last 90% of the small intestine with a few parasites in the large intestine. The pre-patent period was 7 days. Parasites, probably E. hungaryensis and E. apionodes, were also isolated from A. flavicollis.