Morphologic and molecular characterization of new Cyclospora species from Ethiopian monkeys: C-cercopitheci sp.n., C-colobi sp.n., and C-papionis sp.n.

In recent years, human cyclosporiasis has emerged as:an important infection , with large outbreaks in the United States and Canada. :Understanding the biology and epidemiology of Cyclospora has been difficult and slow and has been complicated by not knowing the pathogen's origins, animal reservoirs ( if any), and relationship to other coccidian parasites. This report provide s morphologic and molecular characterization of three parasites isolated fr om primates and names each isolate: Cyclospora cercopitheci sp.n. for a spe cies recovered from green monkeys, C. colobi sp.n. for a parasite from colo bus monkeys, and C. papionis sp.n. for a species infecting baboons. These s pecies, plus C, cayetanensis, which infects humans, increase to four the re cognized species of Cyclospora infecting primates. These four species group homogeneously as a Single branch intermediate between avian and mammalian Eimeria. Results of our analysis contribute toward clarification of the tax onomic position of Cyclospora and its relationship to other coccidian paras ites.