232 



THE TELOSPORASIDA AND THE COCCIDW PROPER 



The sporocysts are 10 to 12 by 7 to 9 /i. 

 A sporocyst residuum is present. The 

 sporozoites often lie more or less trans- 

 versely at the anterior and posterior ends 

 of the sporocyst. The sporulation time is 

 1 to 2 days according to Kotlan (1933). 



Life Cycle : The endogenous stages 

 have been described by Kotlan (1933). 

 They occur in compact clumps under the 

 intestinal epithelium near the muscularis 

 mucosae and also in the epithelial cells of 

 the villi. The schizonts are spherical, 

 12 to 20 ji in diameter, and contain 15 to 

 25 slightly curved, crescent-shaped mero- 

 zoites. There is probably only a single 

 asexual generation. The sexual stages 

 are found mostly in the subepithelial tis- 

 sues of the villi, but invade the epithelium 

 in heavy infections. The macrogametes 

 measure 12 to 16 by 10 to 15 /i. The mi- 

 crogametocytes are spherical and about 

 the same size. Oocysts first appear in 

 the feces 7 days after infection, and the 

 patent period is 2 to 8 days. 



Pathogenesis : Kotlan (1933) reported 

 that experimental infections in 2.5- to 

 3-month-old geese were harmless, but 

 described two outbreaks of intestinal coc- 

 cidiosis in goslings which he considered 

 due to a combination of E. anseris and 

 E. nocens. 



EIMERIA NOCENS 

 KOTLAN, 1933 



Hosts: Domestic goose, blue goose 

 {Anser caerulescens). 



Location: Posterior part of small 

 intestine. 



Geographic Distribution : Europe, 

 North America. 



Morphology : The sporulated oocysts 

 were described by Hanson, Levine and 

 Ivens (1957). They are ovoid but flattened 

 at the micropylar end, 29 to 33 by 19 to 

 24 /i with a mean of 31 by 22 /i (25 to 33 by 

 17 to 24 |i according to Kotlan, 1933). The 

 oocyst wall is smooth and composed of 2 

 layers, the outer one 1. Sji thick and pale 

 yellow, the inner one 0.9(1 thick and al- 

 most colorless. A prominent micropyle 

 is present. A true micropylar cap is ab- 

 sent, but the micropyle appears to be 

 present only in the inner wall and is cov- 

 ered by the outer wall. An oocyst polar 

 granule and oocyst residuum are absent, 

 but part of the oocyst wall often forms one 

 or more roundish protuberances just below 

 the micropyle. The sporocysts are broadly 

 ellipsoidal, with a thin wall and sometimes 

 with a very small Stieda body. The sporo- 

 cysts are 10 to 14 by 8 to IOjll with a mean 

 of 12 by 9 /J.. The sporozoites usually lie 

 head to tail in the sporocysts and contain 

 2 or more large, clear globules which al- 

 most obscure their outline. The sporocyst 

 residuum fills the space between sporo- 

 zoites. 



Life Cycle : According to Kotlan 

 (1933), the endogenous stages are found 

 primarily in the epithelial cells at the tips 

 of the villi, but they may also occur be- 

 neath the epithelium. The younger devel- 

 opmental stages lie near the host cell nu- 

 clei, but as they grow they not only dis- 

 place the nuclei but also destroy the host 

 cell and come to lie free and partly be- 

 neath the epithelium. The schizonts are 

 spherical, 15 to 30 fi in diameter, and con- 

 tain 15 to 35 merozoites. The macroga- 

 metes are usually ellipsoidal or irregularly 

 spherical, uniformly coarsely granular, 

 and measure 20 to 25 by 16 to 21 /j, . The 

 microgametocytes are spherical or ellip- 

 soidal and measure 28 to 36 by 23 to 31 ji. 



Prevalence : E. nocens has been re- 

 ported from the domestic goose only in 

 Europe (Kotlan, 1933; Cerna, 1956), and 

 is apparently not particularly common 

 there. Hanson, Levine and Ivens (1957) 

 found it in blue geese from Ft. Severn 

 and Weenusk, Ontario. 



Pathogenesis : Kotlan (1933) described 

 2 outbreaks of intestinal coccidiosis in 

 goslings in Hungary in which he found both 

 E. nocois and E. anseris. Since the latter 

 is apparently non- pathogenic, the disease 

 was presumably due to E. nocens. 



