Forrester D J, Carpenter J W, Blankinship D R
J Wildl Dis. 1978 Jan;14(1):24-7. doi: 10.7589/0090-3558-14.1.24.
Coccidial oocysts were observed in 6 of 19 fecal samples from free-ranging whooping cranes (Grus americana) and 4 of 16 samples from captive whooping cranes. Eimeria gruis occurred in four free-ranging whooping cranes and E. reichenowi in two free-ranging and two captive whooping cranes. Fecal samples from two captive cranes contained oocysts of Isospora lacazei which was considered a spurious parasite. Oocysts of both species of Eimeria were prevalent in fecal samples collected from three free-ranging Canadian sandhill cranes (G. canadensis rowani) from whooping crane wintering grounds in Texas. These coccidia were prevalent also in fecal samples from 14 sandhill cranes (of 4 subspecies) maintained in captivity at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Maryland.
在19份野生美洲鹤（Grus americana）粪便样本中的6份以及16份圈养美洲鹤粪便样本中的4份中观察到了球虫卵囊。在4只野生美洲鹤体内发现了格鲁斯艾美球虫（Eimeria gruis），在2只野生和2只圈养美洲鹤体内发现了赖氏艾美球虫（E. reichenowi）。两只圈养鹤的粪便样本中含有拉卡泽等孢球虫（Isospora lacazei）的卵囊，该球虫被认为是一种假性寄生虫。从得克萨斯州美洲鹤越冬地采集的3只野生加拿大沙丘鹤（G. canadensis rowani）的粪便样本中，两种艾美球虫的卵囊都很常见。这些球虫在马里兰州帕塔克森特野生动物研究中心圈养的14只（4个亚种）沙丘鹤的粪便样本中也很普遍。
