El-Shahawy I S
Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, South Valley University, Egypt.
Trop Biomed. 2016 Sep 1;33(3):437-445.
Two Eimeria species were identified in faeces collected from a white peacock (Pavo cristatus) housed at the El-Gharbia city park in Egypt, and each is described as a new species. Sporulated oocysts of one species (Eimeria pavota) are ellipsoidal, measuring 23.9 x 16.5 (19.5-25 x 14.5-20) µm. The oocysts have a smooth wall made up of two layers and approximately 1.0 µm in thickness. An oocyst residuum, micropyle and polar granule are present. Sporocysts have a rounded end opposite knob-like Stieda body and are 14.3 x 7.3 (12-16.5 x 5.5-8) µm in size. The sporozoites contain one refractile body and a diffuse granular residuum; the entire content of each sporocyst is enclosed by a thin membrane. Sporulated oocysts of the second eimerian (Eimeria egyptica) are subspherical, measuring 14 x 20 (12-17 x 18-22) µm. The oocysts are without a micropyle but with a two-layered wall, which is approximately 1.3 µm thick, with the outer layer having a smooth surface texture. The oocyst residuum and polar granule are present. Sporocysts have a rounded end opposite the nipple-like Stieda body atop a prominent sub-Stieda body and are 14.4 x 8.0 (12-15.5 x 6.5-9) µm. Sporocysts contain a diffuse granular residuum, and each sporozoite has two different-sized refractile bodies.
