Prevalence of Enterocytozoon bieneusi in swine:: an 18-month survey at a slaughterhouse in Massachusetts

Slaughterhouse pig samples were analyzed by PCR for Enterocytozoon bieneusi infection. Thirty-two percent were found to be positive, with rates being higher over the summer months. Three isolates from pigs were identical in their ribosomal internal transcribed spacer sequence to human E. bieneusi type D, two were identical to type F (from a pig), and nine were previously unreported. The viability of these spores was demonstrated by their ability to infect gnotobiotic piglets. The presence of the infection in liver was shown by in situ hybridization.