Definition:
Myoxozoa is an exotic disease caused by a group of parasitic individuals called myxozoa.
The term is from the Greek “myx”, meaning slime or mucus, and “zoa”, meaning animals.
The myxozoa were originally believed to be protozoan, but were later distinguished to be metazoan through rDNA testing.
Symptoms and Signs:
The myxozoa parasites, which have over 1300 species known to man, can cause infections through valved spores.
These parasites possess two sporoblast cells as well as one or more polar capsules with filaments that anchor (or hook) the spore to its host. Sporoblasts are released as amoebula, a motile form. This, in turn, invades the tissues of the host and develops into multi-nucleate plasmodia. Often, some nuclei join, engulfing each other, to form a new set of spores.
Normally present in fish hosts, the myxozoan often appear in poor water quality and as a result of stress and poor handling. They usually manifest in cases where fungal and bacterial infections are also present.
Injuries caused by myxozoa often serve as an opening for other parasites to further infect the host.
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