ABSTRACT
This chapter provides state-of-the-art overviews on foodborne diseases caused by Encephalitozoon in relation to their etiology, biology, epidemiology, clinical presentation, pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. The most frequently occurring, medically prominent species are Encephalitozoon cuniculi, Encephalitozoon intestinalis, and Encephalitozoon hellem. It is generally known that more than 70 species of protists infect humans through contaminated water and food. In addition, transmission by contaminated fingers seems plausible. Encephalitozoon cuniculi is one of the most widespread of the microsporidian species in animals, infecting a wide range of mammalian hosts, including humans. The isolation of Encephalitozoon spp. is not one of the problem areas of research work. The isolation of Encephalitozoon spp. from the cell lines as a method of diagnosis of the infection is a laborious and time-consuming method, and it has a tendency to fail due to the possible contamination of the samples.
