''Cyclospora'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

of apicomplexan parasites. It includes the species ''

Cyclospora cayetanensis ''Cyclospora cayetanensis'' is a coccidian parasite that causes a diarrheal disease called cyclosporiasis in humans and possibly in other primates. Originally reported as a novel pathogen of probable coccidian nature in the 1980s and described ...

'', the causative agent of

cyclosporiasis Cyclosporiasis is a disease caused by infection with '' Cyclospora cayetanensis'', a pathogenic protozoan transmitted by feces or feces-contaminated food and water. Outbreaks have been reported due to contaminated fruits and vegetables. It is not ...

.Kansas State University - Parasitology - Cyclospora cayetanensis
/ref> Members of ''Cyclospora'' are characterized as having

oocyst Apicomplexans, a group of intracellular parasites, have life cycle stages that allow them to survive the wide variety of environments they are exposed to during their complex life cycle. Each stage in the life cycle of an apicomplexan organism i ...

s with two sporocysts, each containing two sporozoites.

Species

Several ''Cyclospora'' species have been described in various mammals including: *''

Cyclospora angimurinensis ''Cyclospora'' is a genus of apicomplexan parasites. It includes the species ''Cyclospora cayetanensis'', the causative agent of cyclosporiasis. Members of ''Cyclospora'' are characterized as having oocysts with two sporocysts, each containing ...

'' (from the Hispid pocket mouse) *''

Cyclospora ashtabulensis ''Cyclospora'' is a genus of apicomplexan parasites. It includes the species ''Cyclospora cayetanensis'', the causative agent of cyclosporiasis. Members of ''Cyclospora'' are characterized as having oocysts with two sporocysts, each containing ...

'' (from the

Hairy-tailed mole The hairy-tailed mole (''Parascalops breweri''), also known as Brewer's mole, is a medium-sized North American mole. It is the only member of the genus ''Parascalops''. The species epithet ''breweri'' refers to Thomas Mayo Brewer, an American ...

) *''

Cyclospora caryolytica ''Cyclospora'' is a genus of apicomplexan parasites. It includes the species ''Cyclospora cayetanensis'', the causative agent of cyclosporiasis. Members of ''Cyclospora'' are characterized as having oocysts with two sporocysts, each containing ...

'' (from various insect-eating mammals) *''

'' (from humans) *''

Cyclospora cercopitheci ''Cyclospora'' is a genus of apicomplexa The Apicomplexa (also called Apicomplexia) are a large phylum of parasitic alveolates. Most of them possess a unique form of organelle that comprises a type of non-photosynthetic plastid called an ap ...

'' (from

African green monkey ''Chlorocebus'' is a genus of medium-sized primates from the family of Old World monkeys. Six species are currently recognized, although some people classify them all as a single species with numerous subspecies. Either way, they make up the ent ...

s) *''

Cyclospora colobi ''Cyclospora'' is a genus of apicomplexan parasites. It includes the species ''Cyclospora cayetanensis'', the causative agent of cyclosporiasis. Members of ''Cyclospora'' are characterized as having oocysts with two sporocysts, each containing ...

'' (from the Colobus monkey) *''

Cyclospora megacephali ''Cyclospora'' is a genus of apicomplexan parasites. It includes the species ''Cyclospora cayetanensis'', the causative agent of cyclosporiasis. Members of ''Cyclospora'' are characterized as having oocysts with two sporocysts, each containing ...

'' (from the Eastern mole) *''

Cyclospora papionis ''Cyclospora'' is a genus of apicomplexan parasites. It includes the species ''Cyclospora cayetanensis'', the causative agent of cyclosporiasis. Members of ''Cyclospora'' are characterized as having oocysts with two sporocysts, each containing ...

'' (from the Olive baboon) *''

Cyclospora parascalopi ''Cyclospora'' is a genus of apicomplexan parasites. It includes the species ''Cyclospora cayetanensis'', the causative agent of cyclosporiasis. Members of ''Cyclospora'' are characterized as having oocysts with two sporocysts, each containing ...

'' (from the Hairy-tailed mole) *''

Cyclospora talpae ''Cyclospora'' is a genus of apicomplexan parasites. It includes the species ''Cyclospora cayetanensis'', the causative agent of cyclosporiasis. Members of ''Cyclospora'' are characterized as having oocysts with two sporocysts, each containing ...

'' (from the European mole) A smaller number of species have been described from reptiles, arthropods, and snakes: *'' Cyclospora glomericola'' (from a millipede of the genus ''

Glomeris ''Glomeris'' is largely European genus of pill millipedes. It contains over 100 species, distributed across Europe, but also extending into the Canary Islands, Turkey, and eleven species from North Africa. Species * ''Glomeris albida'' * ''Gl ...

'') *'' Cyclopsora niniae'' (from the snake ''

Ninia sebae ''Ninia sebae'', commonly known as the redback coffee snake or the red coffee snake, is a species of small terrestrial snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to Mexico and Central America south to Costa Rica. Although it resem ...

'') *'' Cyclospora scinci'' (from '' Scincus officinalis'') *''

Cyclospora viperae ''Cyclospora'' is a genus of apicomplexan parasites. It includes the species ''Cyclospora cayetanensis'', the causative agent of cyclosporiasis. Members of ''Cyclospora'' are characterized as having oocysts with two Apicomplexan life cycle, spor ...

'' (from ''

Vipera aspis ''Vipera aspis'' is a viper species found in southwestern Europe. Its common names include asp, asp viper,Mallow D, Ludwig D, Nilson G. 2003. ''True Vipers: Natural History and Toxinology of Old World Vipers''. Krieger Publishing Company, Malaba ...

'') *'' Cyclopsora zamensis'' (from various snakes)

Taxonomy and evolution

''Cyclospora'' are

eukaryote Eukaryotes () are organisms whose cells have a nucleus. All animals, plants, fungi, and many unicellular organisms, are Eukaryotes. They belong to the group of organisms Eukaryota or Eukarya, which is one of the three domains of life. Bacte ...

s in the phylum Apicomplexa. Within the Apicomplexa, ''Cyclospora'' belong to the sub-class

Coccidia Coccidia (Coccidiasina) are a subclass of microscopic, spore-forming, single-celled obligate intracellular parasites belonging to the apicomplexan class Conoidasida. As obligate intracellular parasites, they must live and reproduce within an a ...

and family

Eimeriidae Eimeriidae is a family of Apicomplexa. It contains the following genera: *'' Acroeimeria'' Paperna & Landsberg, 1989 *'' Alveocystis'' Bel'tenev, 1980 *'' Caryospora'' Léger, 1904 *'' Cyclospora'' Schneider, 1881 *'' Diaspora'' Léger, 1898 *''D ...

. Taxonomy of the coccidia is based upon morphological descriptions of observed parasites, and therefore does not always reflect evolutionary relationships. Genetic studies of the well-conserved SSU rRNA from various specimens has suggested that parasites in ''Cyclospora'' may be more closely related to some species of '' Eimeria'' that infect birds than the rest of the genus ''Eimeria'' is. Relationships among various coccidia estimated for SSU rRNA sequences are shown in the cladogram below:

History

The genus ''Cyclospora'' was created in 1881 to describe a parasite found in a millipede of the genus ''

''.

References

Apicomplexa genera Conoidasida {{Apicomplexa-stub