ATLASINTESTINAL PARASITES (Protozoa)
      SPOROZOEA Order: Eucoccidiida

      ISOSPORA BELLI

      Adapted and redrawn from NCDC

      iso1-ic

      Isospora belli: life cycle.


      iso2-ic

      Isospora belli oocyst: I.belli is an intestinal coccidian that causes
      self-limiting diarrhea in immunocompetent individuals and a severe chronic
      disease in the immunocompromised.
      Oocysts measure 20-33 x 10-19 µm and have a thin wall.
      (Wet mount).


      By Stephan Kambach

      iso2a-ic

      		 isospora-belli2-ic

      Isospora belli oocyst: oocysts are excreted as unsporulated in faeces.
      Unsporulated freshly excreted oocysts contain a single spherical mass,
      the sporoblast. Isospora_belli2: Isospora infection in HIV/AIDS patient.
      (Wet mount preparation).

      isospora_belli2
      Courtesy of Stephan Kambach
      Kreiskrankenhaus Lörrach
      Zentrallaboratorium
      Direktor Dr.Walter Bauersfeld, Spitalstr. 25
      79539 Lörrach, Germany


      By Stephan Kambach
      iso3-ic isospora-belli1-ic

      Isospora belli oocyst: the sporoblast splits in two sporoblasts within the oocyst.
      In the external environment the sporoblasts mature into
      sporocysts each containing four sporozoites. 
      Isospora_belli1:       Isospora infection in HIV/AIDS patient.
      (Wet mount preparation).

      isospora_belli1
      Courtesy of Stephan Kambach
      Kreiskrankenhaus Lörrach
      Zentrallaboratorium
      Direktor Dr.Walter Bauersfeld, Spitalstr. 25
      79539 Lörrach, Germany


      By Dr. Marc Lontie

      Isospora_belli3-ic

      Isospora belli: two immature ovoid oocysts in faeces.
      The oocyst contains one immature sporont (at the left),
      occasionally a dividing sporont (at the right). (unstained).

      Courtesy of  Dr. Marc Lontie:
      Director of the laboratory of the Medisch Centrum voor Huisartsen,
      Maria Theresiastraat 63a; B-3000 Leuven, Belgium.


      By Dr. Marc Lontie

      Isospora_belli2-ic

      Isospora belli oocyst: contains a growing oocyst.

      Courtesy of  Dr. Marc Lontie:
      Director of the laboratory of the Medisch Centrum voor Huisartsen,
      Maria Theresiastraat 63a; B-3000 Leuven, Belgium.


      By Dr. Marc Lontie

      Isospora_belli-ic

      Isospora belli oocyst: two sporocyst with each four sporozoites.

      Courtesy of  Dr. Marc Lontie:
      Director of the laboratory of the Medisch Centrum voor Huisartsen,
      Maria Theresiastraat 63a; B-3000 Leuven, Belgium.


      iso4-ic

      Isospora belli oocyst: oocysts have a thin wall and they can be missed
      in wet mount preparations.
      With the acid-fast stain the sporoblast stain red and
      the cyst's wall is visible as a dark outline.
      (Acid-fast stain).


      iso5-ic

      Isospora belli oocyst containing two sporoblasts: the sporoblasts stain red and
      the cyst wall appears as a dark-red outline.
      (Acid-fast stain).


      iso6-ic

      Isospora belli oocyst: in the external environment the sporoblasts
      develop into sporocysts containing four sporozoites.
      With the Acid-fast stain the sporozoites are sometimes visible.
      (Acid-fast stain).


      iso7-ic

      Isospora belli oocyst: the infective oocyst contains two sporocysts with four long,
      slender and crescent-shaped sporozoites.
      (Acid-fast stain).


      By dr. Rodrigo Alves de Fonseca

      iso8-ic

      Isospora belli oocyst: sporulated oocyst containing two sporocysts.



      By doctor Tim Clarke, Senior BMS

      iso9-ic

      Isospora belli: Isospora oocyst stained with Trichrome stain