- Theileria microti
Taxobox | color = khaki
domain =Eukaryota
unranked_phylum =Alveolata
phylum =Apicomplexa
classis =Aconoidasida
ordo =Haemosporida
unranked_familia =Piroplasmida
familia =Theileriidae
genus = "Theileria "
species = "Theileria microti"Theileria microti is a parasitic blood-borne
piroplasm transmitted by deer ticks. It was previously in the taxonomicgenus "Babesia ", as "Babesia microti", untilribosomal RNA comparisons placed it in the sister genus "Theileria ". [cite journal |author=UILENBERG,G. & GOFF,W.L. |title=Polyphasic Taxonomy |journal=Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences |volume=1081|pages=495 |year=2006 |doi=10.1196/annals.1373.073 |pmid=17135557 [http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/pdf/10.1196/annals.1373.073] ] [ cite journal | doi = 10.1016/j.vetpar.2006.01.035 | year = 2006 | month = May | author = Uilenberg, G | title = Babesia--a historical overview | volume = 138 | issue = 1-2 | pages = 3–10 | pmid = 16513280 | journal = Veterinary parasitology ] "T. microti" is responsible for the diseasehuman theileriosis , similar tobabesiosis , amalaria -like disease which also causes fever andhemolysis .An important difference from malaria is that "T. microti" does not infect liver cells. Additionally, the piroplasm is spread by tick bites ("
Ixodes scapularis ", the same tick that spreadsLyme disease ), while the malaria protozoans are spread via mosquito. Finally, under the microscope, the merozoite form of the "T. microti" lifecycle in red blood cells forms a cross-shaped structure, often referred to as a "Maltese cross ", whereas malaria forms more of a diamond ring structure in red blood cells. [cite book|last=Goldberg|first=Stephen |title=Clinical Microbiology made Ridiculously Simple|edition=4th edition |date=2007 |publisher=Medmaster|isbn=978-0940780217]External links
* [http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/idepc/diseases/babesiosis/index.html Minnesota Department of Health]
References
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