Table 1.
Characteristics of microsporidian spores in histological sections with 274 special stains
| Microsporidia | Fixative | Host | Luna | Gram | Fite's Acid-Fast | Giemsa |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glugea anomala | Dietrich’s | Gasterosterus aculeatus | + | +/− | +/− | + |
| Loma salmonae | 10% neutral buffered formalin (10% NBF) | Oncorhynchus kisutch | + | +/− | +/− | + |
| Nucleospora salmonis | Davidson’s | Oncorhynchus tshawytscha | +/− | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Pseudoloma neurophilia | Dietrich’s/ 10% NBF | Danio rerio | + | +/− | +/− | +/− |
| Pleistophora hyphessobryconis | Dietrich’s | Danio rerio | + | +/− | +/− | +/− |
| Pleistophora vermiformis | 10% NBF | Cottus gobio | + | + | 0 | + |
| Glugea stephani | 10% NBF | Pleuronectes platessa | + | + | 0 | +/− |
| Steinhausia mytilovum | Sea water Davidson’s | Mytilus edulis | 0 | +/− | 0 | 0 |
| Unidentified microsporidian | Sea water Davidson’s | Eriocheir sinensis | +/− | + | 0 | 0 |
+ = most or all spores were stained and distinct from background, +/− = variable, some spores stained, 0 = less than 10% of spores colored with special stain or spores not clearly distinguished from background.