MORPHOLOGY OF BLASTOCYSTIS SP ISOLATED FROM CIRCUS ANIMALS

Blastocystis sp. is reported for the first time from faecal samples co llected from a camel, a llama, a highland bull and a lion in a travell ing circus. Fresh faecal specimens were examined by light and electron microscopy, and vacuolar and cyst forms of similar morphology were pr esent in all three ungulates. These cells were smaller than cultured v acuolar cells of Blastocystis hominis isolated from humans and contain ed only a single vacuole in comparison to the multivacuolar cell found in fresh human faeces. The taxonomic relationship of Blastocystis iso lated from humans and ungulates remains to be determined. The number o f parasites present in the hon sample was too small to make valid comp arisons.