''Cyclospora'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

apicomplexa The Apicomplexa (also called Apicomplexia; single: apicomplexan) are organisms of a large phylum of mainly parasitic alveolates. Most possess a unique form of organelle structure that comprises a type of non-photosynthetic plastid called an ap ...

n 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 i ...

'', the causative agent of

cyclosporiasis Cyclosporiasis is a disease caused by infection with ''Cyclospora cayetanensis'', a pathogenic Apicomplexa, apicomplexan protozoan transmitted by human feces, feces or feces-contaminated food and water. Outbreaks have been reported due to contamin ...

.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 ...

s with two sporocysts, each containing two

sporozoite 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 organis ...

Species

Several ''Cyclospora'' species have been described in various mammals including: *'' Cyclospora angimurinensis'' (from the Hispid pocket mouse) *'' Cyclospora ashtabulensis'' (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'' (from various insect-eating mammals) *''

'' (from humans) *'' Cyclospora cercopitheci'' (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 enti ...

s) *'' Cyclospora colobi'' (from the Colobus monkey) *'' Cyclospora megacephali'' (from the Eastern mole) *'' Cyclospora papionis'' (from the

Olive baboon The olive baboon (''Papio anubis''), also called the Anubis baboon, is a member of the family Cercopithecidae Old World monkeys. The species is the most wide-ranging of all baboons, being native to 25 countries throughout Africa, extending from ...

) *'' Cyclospora parascalopi'' (from the Hairy-tailed mole) *'' Cyclospora talpae'' (from the

European mole The European mole (''Talpa europaea'') is a mammal of the order Eulipotyphla. It is also known as the common mole and the northern mole. This mole lives in a tunnel system, which it constantly extends. It uses these tunnels to hunt its prey. ...

) A smaller number of species have been described from reptiles, arthropods, and snakes: *'' Cyclospora glomericola'' (from a millipede of the genus '' Glomeris'') *'' Cyclopsora niniae'' (from the snake '' Ninia sebae'') *'' Cyclospora scinci'' (from '' Scincus officinalis'') *'' Cyclospora viperae'' (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 The eukaryotes ( ) constitute the Domain (biology), domain of Eukaryota or Eukarya, organisms whose Cell (biology), cells have a membrane-bound cell nucleus, nucleus. All animals, plants, Fungus, fungi, seaweeds, and many unicellular organisms ...

s in the phylum

Apicomplexa The Apicomplexa (also called Apicomplexia; single: apicomplexan) are organisms of a large phylum of mainly parasitic alveolates. Most possess a unique form of organelle structure that comprises a type of non-photosynthetic plastid called an ap ...

. 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 a ...

and family

Eimeriidae Eimeriidae is a family (biology), family of Apicomplexa. It contains the following genera: *''Acroeimeria'' Paperna & Landsberg, 1989 *''Alveocystis'' Bel'tenev, 1980 *''Caryospora (alveolate), Caryospora'' Léger, 1904 *''Cyclospora'' Schneider, ...

. 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 Small subunit ribosomal ribonucleic acid (SSU rRNA) is the smaller of the two major RNA components of the ribosome. Associated with a number of ribosomal proteins, the SSU rRNA forms the small subunit of the ribosome. It is encoded by SSU- rDNA. ...

from various specimens has suggested that parasites in ''Cyclospora'' may be more closely related to some species of ''

Eimeria ''Eimeria'' is a genus of apicomplexan parasites that includes various species capable of causing the disease coccidiosis in animals such as cattle, poultry and smaller ruminants including sheep and goats. ''Eimeria'' species are considered to ...

'' 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 A cladogram (from Greek language, Greek ''clados'' "branch" and ''gramma'' "character") is a diagram used in cladistics to show relations among organisms. A cladogram is not, however, an Phylogenetic tree, evolutionary tree because it does not s ...

below:

History

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

References

Apicomplexa genera Conoidasida {{Apicomplexa-stub