SURVIVAL OF MICROSPORIDIA AFTER EXPOSURE TO DISINFECTANTS AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONDI

微孢子虫是一种普遍存在的寄生虫，可引起昆虫、鱼类和哺乳动物的感染。最近，微孢子虫被证明可以感染人类。这些细菌会导致眼科和胃肠道感染，主要是在获得性免疫缺陷综合征患者中。在细胞培养中已经培养了几个属的人类病原体。目前，还没有关于人类病原体肠型脑炎杆菌和海氏脑炎杆菌在各种环境条件下生存能力的数据。此外，没有关于消毒剂对这两个物种的孢子影响的报道。将研究微孢子虫孢子在接触消毒剂(如氯、酒精和季铵化合物)以及环境条件(如高温和干燥)后的存活情况。使用不同的细胞系在贝壳小瓶系统中培养微孢子虫已经被研究过，微孢子虫似乎在成纤维细胞和上皮细胞系中复制。正在对染色方法进行评估，以检测暴露于消毒剂和环境条件下的感染细胞培养中的微孢子虫包涵体。西奥多·纳什博士(LPD，NIAID)生产的一种单抗已经取代了Giemsa染色，用于检测感染细胞。尽管单抗使检测被感染细胞变得更容易，但检测仍然很繁琐和繁琐。为了取代感染细胞培养的染色，已经开发了一种测定微孢子虫DNA的方法。该方法利用聚合酶链式反应和Eu标记的DNA探针，是半定量的。

Microsporidia are ubiquitous parasites causing infections in insects, fish, and mammals. Recently microsporidia have been demonstrated to infect humans. These organisms cause ophthalmic and gastrointestinal infections, primarily in patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome. Several genera of human pathogens have been cultivated in cell culture. Currently, there are no data regarding the ability of the human pathogens Encephalitozoon intestinalis and Encephalitozoon hellem to survive under various environmental conditions. Also, there are no reports regarding the effects of disinfectants on spores of these two species. The survival of microsporidial spores after exposure to disinfectants such as chlorine, alcohol, and quaternary ammonium compounds, and environmental conditions such as elevated temperature and dessication will be studied. Cultivation of microsporidia in the shell vial system using various cell lines has been investigated and microsporidia appear to replicate in both fibroblast and epithelial cell lines. Staining methods are being evaluated to detect microsporidial inclusions in infected cell culture after exposure to disinfectants and environmental conditions. A monoclonal antibody produced by Dr. Theodore Nash (LPD, NIAID) has replaced giemsa staining for detection of infected cells. Although the monoclonal antibody makes detection of infected cells easier, the assay is still cumbersome and tedious. In an effort to replace staining of infected cell cultures, a method for quantitation of microsporidial DNA has been developed. This assay utilizes polymerase chain reaction and a europium-labeled DNA probe and is semi-quantitative.