REEVALUATING THE MOLECULAR TAXONOMY - IS HUMAN-ASSOCIATED CYCLOSPORA A MAMMALIAN EIMERIA SPECIES

Human-associated Cyclospora is a coccidian parasite that causes diarrh eal disease. A reevaluation of the parasite's molecular taxonomy that takes into account newly published data for seven Eimeria species show s that Cyclospora belongs to the Eimeria clade (Eimeriidae family). Th e Cyclospora branch on the phylogenetic tree is between the branches o f the eight avian and two mammalian Eimeria species that have been eva luated to date. Furthermore, preliminary results indicate that Cyclosp ora and Isospora belli, another coccidian parasite that causes diarrhe al disease in humans, belong to different families. To improve our und erstanding of the taxonomy of human-associated Cyclospora, molecular e valuation of isolates of additional Cyclospora and Eimeria species is needed.